Gourmet Hunter - Chapter 35 (Patreon)

Chapter 35: Potential Trouble

"Rumble..."

In a deep rumble, the stone slabs on the ground slid open.

The people waiting inside the house turned their attention to the slowly moving floor.

As the entire stone slab moved aside, one person walked out first, Luo.

Seeing Luo, Chrollo Lucilfer's expression remained unchanged. At this moment, he acknowledged Luo's statements about Nen abilities, reasoning that one could not possess such extensive knowledge at such an age if not for a fondness for reading.

He had temporarily changed his mind before, giving up on the idea of stealing Luo's Nen ability, but he remained curious about the secrets of Luo's book. Moreover, Luo had now qualified to become one of the team members.

Following Luo, Kuli and another bodyguard emerged, with the elder coming out last.

The order in which they entered the basement had reversed upon their exit.

Once all four had emerged, the mechanism at the entrance of the basement sealed shut with a rumble, but from then on, the basement, filled with skeletons and guarded by a black hound, acquired a new collectible.

"You may go now." After coming out of the basement, the elder issued a direct and straightforward order to leave.

The hostility, faint yet discernible, emanating from the cloaked figures around, gradually dissipated with the elder's words. If there was any hostility left, it could only be the deep-seated hatred hidden within Kuli's heart.

"Alright."

Chrollo Lucilfer responded with a single word, leading the silent Luo out of the door, away from the elder's house.

Walking to the courtyard, the two guards by the iron gate showed no reaction upon seeing Chrollo Lucilfer and Luo, opening the gate directly.

Side by side, Chrollo Lucilfer and Luo walked out through the iron gate, completely leaving the house behind.

For Chrollo Lucilfer, this house was like a place of business. Despite seeing the elder surrounded by people each time he visited, he never felt any pressure.

Moreover, based on this phenomenon, Chrollo Lucilfer deduced that the elder's Nen ability required the assistance of others to unleash its full potential. He made this deduction knowing that the elder was not the type to fear death.

Anticipating the target's Nen ability beforehand is a good habit, even though there's no conflict of interest and it's unlikely to lead to a battle. It's always good to have a backup plan for future use.

"Congratulations on surviving."

As they walked into the alley leaving the open space behind, Chrollo Lucilfer offered Luo an ambiguous congratulation.

Luo glanced at Chrollo Lucilfer nonchalantly, then looked ahead, asking, "Cook's twin brother is the one with triangular eyes beside the elder, right?"

"That's right." Chrollo Lucilfer answered quickly.

Seeing how promptly Chrollo Lucilfer responded, Luo raised an eyebrow, turned his head, and stared at Chrollo Lucilfer with a deadpan expression, saying, "Then why didn't you tell me earlier, so I could be prepared?"

Feeling Luo's gaze, Chrollo Lucilfer turned to face him, calmly replying, "I thought you wouldn't care about such trivial matters."

"Trivial matters…" Luo's eyelid twitched slightly. If not for his strong mental fortitude, the increasingly hostile atmosphere might have prompted him to act rashly and attempt to break through, placing himself in danger.

"At the church, you were calm from beginning to end."

Chrollo Lucilfer raised his slender index finger towards Luo, calmly stating, "So I thought you weren't the type to get flustered easily. And indeed, you remained calm throughout."

"I guess you did it on purpose?" Luo squinted.

"Yes." Chrollo Lucilfer lowered his hand, admitting directly.

"..."

With such a straightforward admission, Luo didn't know what to say.

Chrollo Lucilfer continued, "It's clear that the elder was pleased. Your level of appreciation was beyond my expectations."

Meeting the elder's standards of knowledge wasn't difficult, but it was rare for him to be pleased. It's likely that Luo demonstrated an exceptional level of appreciation.

For the first time, Chrollo Lucilfer revised his opinion of someone his age because of Luo.

"It's nothing special." Luo turned his head, thinking it might be better to keep his distance from Chrollo Lucilfer in the future.

"Modesty is a virtue, but it doesn't apply here." Chrollo Lucilfer withdrew his gaze.

"Oh." Luo's response was lukewarm.

Chrollo Lucilfer didn't mind, earnestly saying, "We could exchange ideas when you're free."

"Sorry, I'm a busy person. Probably won't have the time." Luo declined without a second thought.

Chrollo Lucilfer pondered for a moment, then realized, "Right, since you've decided to stay, you won't have idle time afterwards."

"Eh?" Luo suddenly stopped walking, his gaze filled with confusion as he looked at Chrollo Lucilfer.

Seeing Luo stop, Chrollo Lucilfer also halted, facing Luo's puzzled look. He then thought of a possibility and fell silent.

"I was just making an excuse to brush you off, but you took it very seriously…" Luo said curiously.

Chrollo Lucilfer silently turned away, leaving Luo with a view of the back of his head.

He had thought Luo had figured out the current situation on his own, understanding that the trouble this time couldn't be smoothly dealt with. Not to mention cook's brother and his crew, who wouldn't dare to confront them openly but could still pose a threat in secret.

Moreover, Luo's value was highlighted in front of the elder, which was key to avoiding trouble this time. However, because his value was highlighted, the elder would surely use Luo to obtain something later on, which would be a future trouble.

The weak are swayed by circumstances, while the strong forge their path through the storm. The only way to cope is to become stronger as soon as possible.

Chrollo Lucilfer thought Luo would focus solely on training his Nen abilities from now on, so he wouldn't have spare time for other activities. But it turned out that was just an excuse Luo made to brush him off.

"Here's a piece of advice, improve your Nen abilities as soon as possible."

After leaving those words behind, Chrollo Lucilfer quickened his pace, leaving the area. He disliked the awkward feeling that had arisen.

"Hey, wait."

Seeing Chrollo Lucilfer walking away quickly, Luo was momentarily stunned, then hurriedly called out for him to wait.

But the call made Chrollo Lucilfer almost break into a run, his figure disappearing around the corner, not giving Luo any chance to catch up.

"You could at least lead me out first?" Luo said helplessly.

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In the basement.

After Luo and Chrollo Lucilfer left, the elder made another trip down to the basement, this time accompanied only by Kuli.

The elder, leaning on his cane, stood in front of the display holding the ominous hand, his gaze appreciatively fixed on it under the light. His wandering eyes paused briefly every time they crossed over the severed fingers.

Kuli stood behind the elder, his head slightly bowed, trying not to make any sound, even controlling his breathing to the bare minimum.

The black hound lying in the corner had become accustomed to the silence, as quiet as a statue. This was also why it didn't act rashly in front of strangers, even suppressing its instinctual growls.

"You must endure when I tell you to endure."

In the silent basement, the elder's hoarse voice suddenly echoed.

Kuli's body shivered, and he replied, "Yes."

"When I don't need you to endure, you don't have to." The elder spoke coldly.

Upon hearing this, excitement flickered in Kuli's eyes as he forcefully responded, "Understood."

The elder, who had been standing still, suddenly moved towards the empty display stand.

There were ten stone pillar display stands in the basement, and currently, three were empty.

"With Luo's level of appreciation, it won't be long before this place fills up." The elder ran his hand over the display stand.

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