Gourmet Hunter - Chapter 31 (Patreon)

Chapter 31: The Basement

Chrollo Lucilfer outlined the value of Luo, but the Elder's response was lukewarm, with only a brief "I see."

Then, the Elder extended a slightly emaciated hand towards Luo.

Without needing a reminder from Chrollo, Luo calmly walked over, placed the Ominous Hand in the Elder's grasp, then stepped back three paces, maintaining a distance of more than a meter from the Elder.

One meter and twenty centimeters is considered a safe distance between people, neither too abrupt nor displeasing to strangers. Luo chose a distance not exceeding two meters but more than one meter and twenty centimeters.

This distance allowed Luo to launch an attack directly at the Elder if the situation turned south, without hesitation.

The condition for escaping the predicament was to use the ability "God's Hand" to strip the Elder's heart and then use it as leverage.

After receiving the Ominous Hand, the Elder did not examine it immediately but looked at Luo, rasping, "You and Chrollo are quite alike."

Luo shook his head at this, smiling. "Clearly, I'm much more handsome. How are we alike?"

Chrollo glanced at him but remained silent.

Some rustling emerged among the crowd, but as the Elder raised his hand, it quickly subsided, though the atmosphere distinctly changed.

Luo's smile did not falter at the moment of disturbance, as more than a dozen cold gazes swept over him, feeling truly honored by such attention.

Such nerve-stimulating changes could unsettle anyone with less mental fortitude, but Luo remained as calm as ever.

"It's not about looks," the Elder clarified, holding Luo's gaze, correcting his mistake.

"If it's not about looks, how are Chrollo and I alike?" Luo shrugged, amused by the Elder's seriousness.

"You both share a calmness and composure when faced with danger, especially given your similar ages," the Elder remarked coolly.

"I see." Luo feigned an epiphany, as if asking, "So, it's dangerous now?"

Perhaps the Elder didn't care much for Luo's thoughts; after speaking, he began to examine the Ominous Hand closely.

Under the cloak's shadow, his eyes sparkled with interest as his dehydrated hand gently caressed the Ominous Hand, as if caressing a young beauty.

After a moment, the Elder, looking down, inquired, "What is this?"

"This wooden hand is called the Ominous Hand, a relic required for a certain ritual by the Lirit tribe," Luo replied calmly.

"The Lirit tribe? I've heard of them and knew of a relic from this extinct tribe but wasn't sure what it was. So, it's this wooden hand," the Elder's tone, usually somber, gained a bit of enthusiasm.

Luo waited for the Elder to ask more questions instead of explaining further.

There's a difference between offering information voluntarily and being asked, a distinction quite significant at the moment.

After Chrollo had finished outlining Luo's value, he stood quietly aside, as if erasing his presence. If Luo made a wrong move, he would watch indifferently as Luo headed towards his demise.

However, Luo hadn't yet fully entered a safe zone, but he wasn't far off, as long as he didn't act too recklessly.

"Why did the Lirit tribe carve so many eyes on the wooden hand?" the Elder asked after a while.

"This represents 'vigilance,'" Luo continued, "The Lirit tribe believed that the Ominous God received their will through the eyes."

"Interesting. And what is this ritual?" the Elder slowly lifted his head to look at Luo.

His gaze was indifferent, as if observing an object rather than a living being.

That was what Luo felt from the Elder's gaze.

"It's a curse," Luo replied without changing his expression, "The people of the Lirit tribe would crush their fingers and pour them over the Ominous Hand, praying for the Ominous God to bring disaster upon their enemies."

After a moment of silence, the Elder glanced quickly at Chrollo and said coldly, "I like this object and will keep it. But, I'm displeased that it's missing three fingers. Thus, I'll give you a chance."

Chrollo had brought Luo to him, along with a fascinating antique. He could have let bygones be bygones, but with the Ominous Hand missing three fingers, its value significantly diminished, making him unwilling to let Luo off so easily.

Cook's death, in his view, wasn't a big deal; any replacement would suffice to appease the Mafia, albeit with some consideration for Cook's brother Kuli feelings.

But a damaged antique alone was not enough.

Luo's smile slowly faded. Perhaps there was one similarity between him and Chrollo: neither liked being controlled by others, but now the situation was out of his hands.

He would bide his time for now, waiting until his Nen abilities had improved, to gain the freedom to act as he pleased.

"What opportunity?" Luo asked, looking at the Elder.

The Elder, leaning on his cane, slowly stood up. His legs were still strong, so the cane was likely more for show than necessity.

"Follow me."

After standing, the Elder, holding the Ominous Hand, walked towards the staircase leading downward without specifying what the opportunity was.

Cook brother Kuli, who had been standing by the Elder's side, and another man glanced coldly at Luo before following the Elder.

Luo ignored their icy stares and followed the trio, constantly strategizing his next moves.

He needed to keep a close eye on the Elder and find any chance to take immediate action if necessary. That was his backup plan.

As the Elder reached the bottom of the staircase, he pressed a square stone brick on the wall. With a click, the brick receded, and a rumbling sound came from below, accompanied by the sharp noise of gears turning.

"A basement, huh? Seems like he's taking me to see his collection, pretty much what Chrollo had in mind. But if I can't make a good impression soon, I might not come back up," Luo thought to himself, not worried but rather pleased.

With his expertise in appraisal, bolstered by the white smoke font, calling his level 'master' wouldn't be an overstatement. The problem was how to absorb the Nen from the antiques in front of the three of them.

After all, all three were Nen users. Although they wouldn't normally concentrate their aura in their eyes, it would be troublesome if they noticed the Nen absorption.

Of course, that depended on the quality of the Elder's collection.

Luo followed the Elder and his companions down the descending staircase, while Chrollo stayed behind, watching them go without following.

Once the door on the ground closed again, Chrollo's mouth twitched into a smile. He roughly knew the Elder's standards. If Luo's appraisal skills were high enough, he could easily survive.

After all, the Elder not only valued his collection but also appreciated those who could discern the value of antiques. However, even if Luo survived this time, there would be many more difficulties waiting for him.

Of course, Chrollo could foresee these troubles but wouldn't proactively inform Luo. Moreover, he wasn't sure whether Luo's appraisal skills were as genuine as claimed.

"I'm looking forward to seeing if you can make it out," Chrollo thought.

The staircase leading to the basement was neither short nor straightforward but spiral.

Luo counted deliberately, a total of seventy-two steps.

Reaching the bottom, one of the Elder's men turned on the light, illuminating the basement in full detail.

This strong light was likely intended to make the collection more visible, also indicating the Elder's affection for his collection.

Luo, standing at the back, did not dare to gather aura in his eyes rashly, knowing well that the Elder and his companions were adept in Nen.

He relied on his eyesight alone to survey the basement, and upon seeing clearly, a sense of turmoil began to rise within him.

In a corner lay a massive black hound, its cold beastly eyes quietly watching him, and beside the hound, a pile of human skeletons formed a small hill.

Luo's heart tightened, and he silently shifted his gaze to the collection.

"Six collectibles, two of them with Nen."

Even without gathering aura in his eyes, the treasure-hunting sensation he felt when finding the Ominous Hand in the Junkyard reemerged, guiding him directly to the targets.

Luo smiled subtly, choosing to ignore the somewhat strange black hound.

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