Gourmet Hunter (HxH Fanfic)

The palace was constructed from unknown materials, yet even after a thousand years, it remained standing tall and unyielding.

Law and Salin sat atop the palace roof, the rolling dark clouds in the sky seemingly just an arm's length away. From this vantage point, the view in all directions was vast and unobstructed.

"Is he doing well? You can see for yourself." In response to Salin's emotionally charged question, Law replied this way.

Upon hearing this, Salin gazed out at the endless grassland and sighed, "If we could leave, we wouldn't have been stuck here all this time."

"What's stopping you?" Law followed Salin's gaze toward the grassland, his suspicions faintly confirmed.

"The grassland is infested with countless ants. Anyone who leaves the capital and ventures into the grass is reduced to bones in an instant." Salin stared at the grassland, her expression grave.

"Ants?" Law raised an eyebrow.

Salin nodded and said, "In any case, since you've made it here, don't try to leave recklessly. Sooner or later, you'll witness just how terrifying those ants are."

Law fell silent, 'What kind of ants could trap Salin and the others here for so many years?'

Sensing that Salin seemed reluctant to dwell on the topic, he decided not to press further.

However, no matter how fearsome the ant swarm on the grassland was, he was determined to find a way out.

"Back to the original question… is my brother doing well?" After explaining the reason for their confinement, Salin repeated her inquiry.

Law looked up and smiled at her, then said again: "Whether he's well or not, you can see for yourself."

"It's been a while since I've punched anyone. Would you like to test me?" Salinsaid with a smile.

"No." Law turned his gaze back to the grasslandand said firmly, "I will find a way out of here."

"I hope you'll still be this confident once you see those ants." Salin's tone carried a hint of mockery.

Law chuckled lightly and changed the subject, pointing at the majestic structures below: "Can I take a look at the treasure vault?"

Earlier, Salin had mentioned that the capital housed many rare treasures, including a massive treasure vault. The thought had been itching at Law's mind ever since.

"Follow me." Salin gave him a look before leaping down from the palace roof.

Seeing this, Law quickly followed suit.

The imperial capital had no outer walls, but the royal palace was enclosed by a towering square barrier, standing nearly ten meters high. No structure outside the wall was permitted to surpass its height, while the buildings within the palace grounds soared far above it.

This detail alone spoke volumes about the strict hierarchical system of the imperial capital a thousand years ago.

Salin led Law to the tallest palace in the complex. Its architecture resembled a towering pagoda, layered like a stacked cake, with a slight resemblance to a pyramid. Yet, its design lacked aesthetic appeal, as if its sole purpose was to reach staggering heights.

A long staircase of white jade stretched upward, blanketed under thick layers of dust. The palace's towering stature was partly due to this massive stepped foundation.

On either side of the staircase stood colossal stone carvings of eagles with spread wings… some missing their wings, others their heads. Not a single sculpture remained intact.

Salin ascended the steps, with Law close behind. The two arrived before the palace's wide-open gates and stepped inside, where dim light barely illuminated the interior.

Clack! Clack!

Salin pulled out two fist-sized ores from her bag and struck them together. Instantly, they began to glow like glow sticks, casting a surprisingly bright light that illuminated several meters ahead.

"Here."

Salin handed one of the glowing ores to Law before heading deeper into the palace.

Law examined the ore curiously. The fact that it lit up with just a few taps made it incredibly convenient. Before leaving this place, he decided that he'd grab a few more and stash them in Kuro's stomach for future use.

Tap… tap…

The sound of their footsteps echoed through the silent palace.

The greenish glow of the ores illuminated the stone path, revealing countless scars left by time and a scattering of decayed weapons strewn across the floor.

The empire, which is hailed as the strongest in Kandhia Desert's history, owed much of its dominance not only to its strategic location but also to its abundant mineral resources. The weapons crafted here surpassed those of other nations, a natural advantage in warfare.

These numerous weapons were undoubtedly products of the empire's ancient forging techniques, holding immense research value.

Law assumed they'd have to climb floor by floor, but Salin instead led him to a stone staircase descending underground.

There was originally trap mechanisms there, but they had been opened by Salin, just like the palace gate outside, which had never been closed again after it was opened.

The two descended roughly five floors underground before arriving at a spacious stone chamber.

The green glow of the ores seeped into the surroundings, revealing collapsed shelves and scattered remnants of artifacts, painting a desolate scene.

"The relatively intact items have all been moved to our settlement." Salin explained, and then said with a hint of amusement: "If you're into gold, there's a room in the palace built entirely from gold bricks. Feel free to pry them loose."

For adventurers, this thousand-year-old imperial capital was unimaginably wealthy, and the treasures here surpassed even the combined riches of countless noble tombs.

The reason so much wealth remained might be tied to the capital's sudden downfall and subsequent transformation into a Forbidden Zone. Those who fled in time couldn't possibly have carried much with them.

However, even if the palace held mountains of gold and jewels, none of it mattered if it couldn't be taken out. In the end, food was far more valuable.

"I'm more interested in antiques."

Law casually replied while silently gathered his Aura into his eyes, scanning the darkness. He saw no trace of the distinctive white glow of Nen and sighed in disappointment.

'Not a single antique carrying Nen? But then again, there was still the treasure vault. And with the palace being so vast, a thorough sweep would surely turn up plenty of valuable finds.'

Hearing Law's words, Salin gave him a look of approval. As someone who also appreciated antiques, she grinned, "The truly noteworthy pieces are all stored in my quarters. If you're interested, you can pick whatever you like when we get back."

"Really?" Law's eyes lit up instantly.

Salin stared at Law's gleaming expression, her face twisting slightly in discomfort, and she sighed: "That mask of yours is… lethally unsettling."

The way his eyes shone with greed, paired with that grotesque human skin mask, cranked the creepiness factor to the max.

Law coughed awkwardly when he heard this.

"This way." Salin strode forward into the darkness. Seeing this, Law dispersed the Aura from his eyes and quickly followed.

After walking about five hundred meters, they stopped before a massive metal door… roughly six meters tall and four meters wide.

"So this is the entrance to the treasure vault?"

Law raised the glowing ore, its light revealing intricate carvings on the door: a sun and moon, crowds bowing in reverence, subjects presenting treasures to a throne, an eagle soaring across the sky, and a lone figure seated atop a mountain of riches.

"The treasure house is my assumption, but I'd say it's accurate. However, this place is locked and cannot be opened without a key. If you use violence to open it, it might trigger the mechanism of the treasure vault. As for what will happen, I'm not sure."

Salin reached out her hand to wipe the dust off the door and said calmly, "Ancient treasure vaults always have a vicious streak. They're usually rigged with traps designed to destroy everything inside if tampered with."

"If you can't get through the main door, can't you find a way to get in from the side?" Law asked.

Salin withdrew her hand and said, "Do you think an emperor who can build a golden room would skimp on the vault's construction? Take a look around, and you'll understand."

Upon hearing this, Law moved along the wall beside the door and realized that it was also made of solid metal. The entire vault was essentially a giant safe.

He knocked on the wall, producing a dull thud. The thickness was impossible to gauge, but it was undoubtedly extreme. The door itself was likely the thinnest point, but that was exactly where the traps would be concentrated.

Taking a step back, even if there is no traps on the door, opening it by force wouldn't be easy.

Of course, in Law's opinion, with the power of God Hand, it would not be difficult to open this treasure vault.

'What good stuff could be in there?'

Just as he thought to himself, a faint clang echoed from the entrance.

When she heard the bell, Salin's expression suddenly changed.

"What's wrong?" Law asked.

"Could be monsters from the grassland breaking into the imperial capital. We should head back to the settlement first." Salin said.

"Okay."