Gourmet Hunter (HxH Fanfic)

Those things that resembled plants more than anything else appeared to be assembled haphazardly from numerous slender, needle-like thorns.

As they writhed through the air, their range of motion was immense. The slightest brush against them would result in entanglement, followed by a piercing death.

Though the thorns were sharp enough to easily penetrate human flesh, their hardness was surprisingly lacking.

The members of Desert Hawks swung their weapons, severing the thorn-covered main bodies. Thick, viscous fluid oozed from the severed trunks, spilling onto the piles of bones below.

Despite losing over thirty people, the remaining members had steadied their formation and managed to hold their ground against the onslaught of the thorned plants. Barring any further surprises, it seemed no more lives would be lost.

Law and the others stepped in to assist, swiftly cutting down the remaining mobile plant creatures.

By now, Desert Hawks had been reduced to half its original size… all within the few minutes following Law's attempt to dissuade them. It was no exaggeration to say they had stepped straight into hell.

This place concealed far more dangers than the desert outside. Unfamiliar with the terrain, none of them could predict what might attack them next.

As they gazed at the corpses impaled by the thorns, a dark cloud settled over the hearts of Desert Hawks' members.

The piles of bones strewn across the ground served as a warning to those who came after. And now, those who had ignored the warning were slowly following in their predecessors' footsteps.

"Should we... keep going?"

A trembling voice broke the suffocating silence.

Compared to these bizarre and deadly threats here, Desert Hawks' members would have much preferred facing ruthless sand bandits.

"We keep moving!"

Ali gritted his teeth.

They had come too far to turn back now. He was determined to uncover the secrets of the Millennium Imperial Capital and leave this place with treasures tied to its legacy… alive!

This time, Law remained silent, merely observing as the group pressed onward.

Knowing the mountain was home to tigers, yet choosing to march straight into it… this was the act of those chasing something deep in their hearts.

As the team ventured deeper, they encountered numerous lethal hidden threats. Even with Law's assistance, casualties continued to increase, and by the time the exit finally came into view, only fifteen members of Desert Hawks remained.

Passing through the mountain path, an expanse of greenery unfolded before their eyes.

The sky was still shrouded in dark clouds, but the light here was brighter than outside, comparable to an overcast day.

Nestled within the valley, surrounded by towering cliffs, stood an imperial capital amidst a vast grassland. Yes, a grassland… in the middle of a desert!

Who could have imagined such a sight before arriving? This was a wasteland of sand and death!

Even Law was left speechless. The group stood frozen at the exit of the mountain path, staring in stunned silence.

The grass on the plains was short, barely reaching ankle height. Scattered across the landscape were several lakes, towering rocks, and patches of glaring white bones… human and animal alike.

The skeletons were yet another warning, indicating that there are still deadly dangers hidden beneath this peaceful grassland.

The Desert Hawks' members hesitated, but Law's gaze swept past the bones, fixing on the distant imperial capital.

Barely visible through the haze, it was an ancient city entwined with thick green vines. Even from afar, its imposing presence was undeniable.

He touched the dead phone in his pocket, feeling a pang of regret, then pondered the environment. This was a place where plants thrived… despite the lack of abundant sunlight, the grassland brimmed with life.

"Captain…"

One of the men snapped out of his daze first.

"Let's go."

Ali pressed his lips together, gripping his spear tightly as he led the remaining members down the slope and into the grassland.

The Millennium Imperial Capital was right before them, just one final step away!

A flicker of excitement diluted the lingering grief in the hearts of Desert Hawks.

William held his sword in front of him, his face clouded with an unshakable melancholy, his expression complex.

Law and Buhara walked side by side, keeping close to the group, while Gel subtly drifted toward Law.

"Why did you come here?" Gel asked in a voice so low that only Law and Buhara could hear it.

Throughout the journey, Gel had witnessed Law going out of his way to assist Desert Hawks. Had he not joined them, Gel was certain this expedition would have ended in failure, and they wouldn't have even reached the outer edges of the Forbidden Zone.

Ali surely understood this as well, which was why he had never questioned Law's motives and had placed absolute trust in him.

Of course, this also aligned with their shared interests.

"The unknown." Law replied succinctly.

Gel fell silent. Though she knew Law was more akin to a Gourmet Hunter, she silently categorized him in her mind as a Ruins Hunter.

The grassland was littered with skeletal remains of various creatures, yet the journey across it was eerily uneventful. As they drew closer to the capital, their vigilance only heightened.

Five hundred meters, four hundred, three hundred…

Once they finally stepped beyond the grassland and onto the flat ground outside the capital, Desert Hawks' members collectively exhaled in relief. Glancing back at the tranquil plains, the horrors of the mountain path still weighed heavily on their minds.

The open ground stretched about two hundred meters before the capital… a city without walls, its ancient structures entwined with thick vines.

Given the terrain's peculiarities, the lack of fortifications made sense.

Just as everyone prepared to enter the vine-choked imperial capital, several figures suddenly emerged from among the ruins, forcing them to halt abruptly.

"Living people?"

Law muttered under his breath, narrowing his eyes.

…

There are four mountain paths in the valley, east, west, south, and north. Law's group had taken the eastern route, while the sand bandits who had also braved the sandstorm arrived via the western path, the opposite direction of Desert Hawks.

Geralt may have had more precise intelligence than Desert Hawks. He set out from Red Rock Canyon with 500 captives, and when they arrived at the Forbidden Zone, there were only 300 captives left, and he used these prisoners as expendable shields to navigate the dangers of the mountain path.

Desert Hawks had faced deadly threats like the gramophone flowers, black compound-eyed mollusks, and the thorned plants. The sand bandits encountered the same.

However, compared to the heavy losses suffered by Desert Hawks, the sand bandits only lost less than ten people while crossing the mountain path, which was pitifully small considering the base number of more than 3,000 sand bandits.

They herded batches of captives, doused in flammable oil, ahead of them. At the first sign of danger, they shot flaming arrows, igniting the captives to create a barrier against the threats.

Amidst the agonized screams of the burning prisoners, the bandits strode over charred corpses, bypassing the hidden perils of the mountain path unscathed.

By the time they got out of the mountain path, the number of captives they brought with them had been reduced to fifty, and among them, Millia was lucky enough to survive.

The sand bandits had prioritized sending those who appeared weakest and most broken to the frontlines first. Milia, who had maintained her spirit and condition, was spared until the end.

Emerging into the valley, the bandits were met with the same surreal sight… a grassland utterly alien to the desert.

Even the largest oasis would still bear patches of sand amidst its greenery.

Geralt's gaze fixed on the distant capital as a low chuckle escaped his lips.