Gourmet Hunter - Chapter 186 (Patreon)

Chapter 186: We Are All Special

The origin and existence of this creature are unknown, so let's call it the Black Cat.

Let's not discuss the illusionary world, which likely resulted from the Nen abilities of White Smoke font and Stajy. The real issue is this Black Cat in front of us.

Luo can feel an invisible thin line connecting him and this Black Cat, which seemed to have jumped out of a book, indicating that its existence is related to Nen abilities.

However, Luo knows nothing about this.

Why there is a bizarre Black Cat, why its gaze seems so humanized, why it looks like it wants to eat him.

The Black Cat's silver eyes showed a unique color in the black and white world. It was smiling, but Luo couldn't see it due to the fur color and its small mouth.

Stajy, not far away, was restless yet didn’t make a move. Her face expressionless, her lips slightly parted, she was muttering “unforgivable” over and over.

Being in the same illusionary world, Luo felt confused, mainly because this cat seemed linked to his Nen abilities.

While Luo was puzzled, the Black Cat seemed to have finished thinking and suddenly pounced on Luo, opening its small mouth to bite him fiercely.

The speed was too fast; by the time Luo reacted, the Black Cat had already bitten and retreated.

Luo was stunned; he wasn't injured because the Black Cat had bitten not his flesh but his aura.

"Tastes quite alright."

The Black Cat’s cheeks puffed up, as if chewing something delicious.

As it gave this comment, its voice sounded like silver bells, but with a sharp and childish edge.

That bite took away one-tenth of Luo's aura, and it even spoke.

Regardless of any relation to the Black Cat, Luo suppressed his astonishment and without a word, drew his sword and slashed at the Black Cat’s neck.

Swoosh!

A fine mark appeared on the Black Cat’s neck, which healed instantly.

“It’s useless.”

The Black Cat slightly tilted its head back, gulped down the aura, and in the next second, pounced again, biting and retreating swiftly, chewing the captured aura calmly as if no one else was there.

That bite reduced Luo’s aura further; continuing this way, ten bites from the Black Cat would doom him.

"No matter what you try, you can’t harm me."

The Black Cat floated mid-air, squinting its eyes, hands on its head, upper body leaning backward, legs crossed.

Watching the Black Cat chew his aura while striking such an infuriating pose, Luo's face grew visibly upset.

He had indeed struck properly with that cut, but the Black Cat instantly recovered, just like Stajy’s humanoid Nen beast.

Then, he thought of the White Smoke font ability within him, perhaps he could use it against this inexplicably emerging Black Cat.

"I've already told you, nothing works, including your peculiar ability."

The Black Cat, still with crossed legs, leisurely swallowed the aura and then squinted at Luo, instantly discerning his thoughts.

That peculiar ability...?

Was the cat referring to the White Smoke font?

Luo took a step back in shock, that was his greatest secret.

He looked at the Black Cat and demanded, "What exactly are you…?"

After thinking for a moment, the Black Cat replied, “To find a suitable term within your understanding to describe my identity, it would be… a Nen beast.”

"What a joke!"

Luo raised his sword toward the Black Cat, angrily saying, “Since when does a Nen beast feed on the summoner’s aura?”

A Nen beast can appear as a humanoid, an animal, even a mythical creature or a being that doesn’t exist in reality.

Depending on the summoner's abilities, a Nen beast can also speak, have a soul, make judgments, or possess other special abilities.

Whether there are Nen beasts that actively consume their summoner's aura is not something Luo can conclusively say.

"What makes you so sure of that?"

The Black Cat leaned forward, its mouth taking the shape of an anchor, and as it spoke, it lunged at Luo again.

This time, before the Black Cat bit down, Luo swung his sword again. Although the sword gave the feeling of cutting through something, the Black Cat was unharmed and bit his aura again.

"Who told you that? Have you seen one? Do you understand Nen beasts? Can your understanding support your statement?" The Black Cat glanced at him sideways, chewing the aura in its mouth.

Luo fell silent, planning to try using his White Smoke font ability to see if it could deal with this demon.

The Black Cat swallowed the aura, shrugged its shoulders, and said earnestly, “Actually, I don’t know either, and it’s not important because I am not a Nen beast. I'm just using that identity to explain, so

 you can understand quickly.”

Just then, the silent Luo suddenly took several steps forward and grabbed the Black Cat by the neck.

“Didn’t I say it’s useless?” With its neck grasped, the Black Cat looked unperturbed, even clawing at the aura surging in Luo’s arm, grabbing a clump of aura and stuffing it into its mouth.

It looked as though it was eating, then suddenly someone held a knife to its neck, but it continued eating unperturbed, as if eating was more threatening than death.

Luo didn't speak, instead, he activated the White Smoke font ability, to no avail, and then tried to crush the Black Cat’s neck with a palm strike using his aura, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t compress its neck further.

It seemed a protective barrier prevented him from doing so.

Why was this happening, what exactly was this creature?

“You seem very surprised, to be honest, I am too.”

Chewing the aura, even with its neck grasped, didn’t stop the Black Cat from speaking.

It looked at Luo, its silver eyes reflecting contemplation, then returning to calm.

“I am special.”

The Black Cat muttered to itself, then raised its three-fingered paw, pointing the middle claw at Luo, and said lightly, “You are special too, since we are both special, there’s no need to be so shocked. Just let me eat your aura and it will be over.”

The middle claw for the Black Cat was its index, not the middle finger.

What it said was bizarre, but Luo at least understood one thing: the Black Cat wanted to eat his aura.

With too little information and already half of his aura consumed by the Black Cat, it was a very dangerous situation, but Luo remained even calmer.

Although unable to harm the Black Cat, he didn’t let go, maintaining his grip on its neck, coldly saying, “What exactly are you?”

The being that sprang from his own Nen, seemingly aware of his White Smoke font ability and even wanting to eat his aura, this phenomenon was utterly baffling and hard to accept.

“Your Nen beast.”

The Black Cat’s mouth shaped like an anchor, having already said it wasn’t a Nen beast, still used that explanation.

Luo’s gaze turned cold, unfortunately, he had no way to deal with this bastard, yet he had many questions.

The Black Cat looked at Luo as if it could see his doubts.

“Since the Nen beast explanation doesn’t satisfy you, I’ll change it to something else, like… the Dark Continent.”

“Why do I want to eat your aura? Actually, I have varied tastes, not just interested in aura.”

“Simply put, I am here to trouble you.”

“But, you don’t have to be afraid because it would be troublesome for me if you died.”

The Black Cat continued talking to itself, actually answering the doubts in Luo’s mind.

As it said this, it tilted its head toward Stajy, who kept muttering quietly, and said lightly, “Half of your aura is enough, and as for this trouble, I might as well help you out.”

With those words, the black and white world collapsed without warning…

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