Gourmet Hunter - Chapter 274 (Patreon)

Chapter 274: Is This Supposed to Be Delicious?

A confluence of multiple forces had gathered to form an aura that had not been premeditated but appeared abruptly.

This aura was not malevolent, yet it was more terrifying than malevolence itself—it was an almost deathly stillness. If one were to describe it more aptly, the term "indifference" might be more fitting.

Machi's reaction was so exaggerated not because she was overly sensitive, but because she had never before endured such a terrifying aura. Before her mind could even begin to process and analyze it, her body had already reacted instinctively.

The first to bear the brunt were Machi and Luo, while Bean seemed immune to the aura, completely unaffected. Watching Machi stepping back in alarm and Luo with a grave expression, Bean showed a big question mark.

Furthermore, several members of the Zodiacs within the building sensed this aura and all displayed puzzled looks.

Three elders who had lived through ages, their mastery of Nen abilities and their spirits, had likely reached a profound level, much like the aura itself, which after a long period of sedimentation, became an indescribable stillness.

Facing this aura, Luo felt as though he was mired in a swamp, with an invisible air wall standing before him, preventing him from moving forward even half a step.

It was an intangible pressure from the spirit that could bind one's limbs if their resolve wasn't strong.

However, Luo knew there was no danger behind this aura, and with that knowledge, he was unafraid.

“Luo…” Machi's body was tensed to its limits, already in a battle-ready state. She looked at Luo's back with an impulse to take him and run immediately.

“Can you hold on?”

Luo didn't turn back but looked towards the door at the end of the straight corridor.

“I… don’t know.” Machi's voice was strained and heavy, her abilities were far inferior to Luo's, and she faced a greater burden from the aura of the three old men.

“What’s wrong with you two?” Bean, seemingly unable to feel or be affected by the aura, turned and asked the two in confusion.

Luo ignored Bean, speaking to Machi, “If you can’t hold on, back off a bit.”

“What about you?” Machi gritted her teeth slightly.

“Me…” Luo sighed softly, “I have to go in there no matter what.”

He knew Chairman Netero had specially invited him for a reason, and it certainly wouldn’t be anything pleasant. Even if there was something delicious, there must be some obstacles set.

With this thought, Luo walked forward, confronting the pervading aura, heading towards the room at the end of the corridor.

Machi watched Luo’s back, biting her lip in silence.

She couldn’t move forward, but she was also unwilling to retreat, thus enduring the spiritual ordeal from the three old men.

Bean, completely oblivious to what was happening, could only guess that the chairman was up to something again from Machi and Luo's reactions.

“The chairman, really…” Bean muttered helplessly, no wonder there was such excitement when he mentioned inviting Luo.

Inside the quiet room, the three elderly didn't need to use En to sense that Luo was approaching the room, and with every step, he was calm and composed, as if the aura they released was mere decoration.

In fact, their aura was inherently without malice, purely a spiritual oppression. Once one realized that their actions harbored no intent of harm, crossing this barrier wasn’t difficult.

For example, take a monk who had practiced mindfulness for years yet had no knowledge of Nen abilities, and a person who had mastered Nen abilities for years but was impetuous.

If these two types were to face the aura of the Netero trio, the former would remain calm and collected, while the latter would be forced to retreat.

Of course, the reason Machi couldn’t cross this aura barrier wasn’t because she was impetuous, but because she couldn’t believe that the aura was completely harmless, which related to her background.

“Walking quite comfortably, let’s call it off?” Maha’s eyes narrowed into a slit, seemingly too lazy to fully open his eyelids, upon noticing that the aura had little effect on Luo, he felt continuing was pointless.

Thus, he suggested they withdraw the aura.

Linne didn’t speak, his cloudy old eyes glanced at Netero, who was stroking his beard and smiling, waiting for a response.

“Let’s withdraw it when he comes in,” Netero said with a smile.

Hearing this, Maha had nothing more to say, continuing to release the aura, and Linne did the same.

The thirty-meter-long corridor took Luo twenty-seven steps to traverse, reaching the door styled like a breeze, and Bean walked up beside him, ready to help

 him open it.

“I’ll open it.”

Just then, Luo suddenly spoke.

Bean paused, noticing Luo intently staring at the recessed handle on the door's edge, and stepped aside to let Luo proceed.

Luo's eyes sparkled, a phenomenon of aura gathering in his eyes.

Using 'Gyo,' one could see a solid cluster of aura at the handle.

First the aura, now there was a trick on the door.

If it weren’t for something delicious, Luo really wouldn’t want to come.

With a soft sigh in his heart, Luo extended his bandaged hand, placing it on the handle while using the ability 'God's Hand' to peel off the gathered aura, then slowly pulled the door open.

Inside was a tranquil room, sparsely furnished, with just a large character '心' (Heart) hanging on the wall and a floor seemingly made of tatami mats.

To the right after entering was a half-meter-high platform, where Netero and two other unfamiliar old people were seated around a low table, each in a different sitting posture.

Luo walked in, silently sizing up the two unfamiliar elders, one male and one female, both extremely aged in appearance.

The male was short, his face heavily lined with wrinkles, saggy eye bags, and a large mouth tightly closed, resembling an alien.

His eyes squinted to a slit, barely revealing the black pupils, and he dressed casually, much like an elderly man out for a morning run, wearing a white sweatshirt paired with earth-colored shorts.

This man was Maha Zoldyck, Zeno's grandfather and the eldest member of the Zoldyck family.

He was of the same age as Netero, a seldom-seen old monster who lived a secluded life. If he ventured out, it was usually on assassination contracts, meaning those who saw him usually didn’t live.

The other, a female, was similarly short in stature, her visage as aged as Maha’s, her cheeks saggy and mouth surrounded by vertical lines, her open eyes cloudy and unfocused.

Yet, despite such an aged appearance, her hair was a youthful golden, very similar to the untransformed hair of Biscuit Krueger.

Such an old face paired with youthful golden hair felt starkly contrasting, and her cloudy old eyes, like a camera lens out of focus, always seemed to watch him.

Luo recognized one of the elders as Linne because he had seen Linne's photo when he asked Sanbica to look up the gourmet competition.

His gaze quickly moved from the two elders to the low table.

A small dish of dried radish, a small dish of white jade-like bean sprouts, a bowl of white rice, a bowl of clear soup with a hint of oil, and a small dish of fragrant seasoning.

That was it.

Is this supposed to be delicious?

As Luo's gaze fell on the dishes and the aura covering them, he felt he had indeed been tricked by Chairman Netero.

As he observed the food, Netero and the others were watching him.

Three elders from a bygone era, now gathered together, were not people one could simply meet.

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