Gourmet Hunter - Chapter 386 (Patreon)

Chapter 386: So This is the Protagonist

Seven days later, Luo and his group arrived in the Golo Kingdom.

The supplies carried by the three armored bulls were insufficient to sustain them for the entire journey. However, Prince William, well-versed in desert survival, identified various plants and animals that could supplement their water supply, ensuring that Buhara did not die of thirst.

Golo is one of the three major oasis nations, with many similarities to the other two countries. The most crucial water sources are enclosed within the royal palace, and every building is equipped with water storage facilities.

In the desert, water is precious. However, within the city, it can be purchased if one has money, and those who wish can even build an underground aquarium.

William had old friends in Golo and took the unwilling Fatima to visit them, seemingly intending to leave Fatima in their care.

Luo gave Buhara some gold beads to freely replenish his water supply. Disguised with a human skin mask, he casually entered a tavern.

Taverns are always good places to gather information. Many idle drunks frequent these places, and buying a few drinks can reveal a lot of information, though its accuracy is not guaranteed.

Besides the drunks, the bartenders and waiters are also sources of information, though the cost is different. Compared to the former, the latter’s information is generally more reliable.

Fatima had given Luo an ugly human skin mask, with a conspicuous red nose and sausage lips, along with a large black mole on the upper right corner of the lips, and slanted eyes.

According to Fatima, this was the only male human skin mask that suited his face. Whether she was deliberately mocking him or not, it was indeed impressive that she had the interest to create such an ugly mask.

With no other choice, Luo had to accept it and went to the tavern with this awful face.

Young, scantily clad female waitresses carried trays between tables, men clinked glasses and shouted, and the smell of alcohol permeated the air.

Compared to the tavern in the Elba slum, this one was much better.

Luo scanned the patrons in the tavern, his gaze stopping at a corner. The next moment, he quickly released his Ten, letting his life energy disperse and simultaneously putting on a lecherous expression.

"Why is she here..."

In the corner sat a black-haired woman, drinking alone at a square wooden table. The nearby seats were empty, and the men around her kept their distance, seemingly afraid of her.

The woman’s complexion suited the desert region perfectly, but she was none other than Geru of the Zodiacs. She keenly sensed the gaze and immediately looked in Luo’s direction.

In her line of sight was a lecherous middle-aged man with unkempt, sand-covered hair, which made Geru show a look of disgust.

Luo had deliberately not tidied his hair to match the face of this middle-aged man mask, and combined with his slanted eyes, it concealed the only flaw of the mask, making Geru unable to recognize him.

Geru’s sharp eyes glared, and Luo cooperatively showed a frightened expression, shrinking his neck and looking away, then quickly finding a seat to sit down. When Geru’s gaze shifted away, Luo relaxed his exaggerated performance a bit.

He didn’t know why Geru was here and didn’t want to find out.

Not being recognized also meant that Fatima’s human skin mask was very effective. If Fatima didn’t want to share this technique, he could still request ten or twenty human skin masks from her.

Luo squeezed in at a table with a few burly men. A waitress came over to take their order, and Luo ordered a beer, then remained silent, quietly listening to the surrounding conversations.

After a while, Luo realized the topics the men in the tavern discussed were uninteresting. After finishing his beer, he got up and walked to the bar.

The bar seats were full, so Luo stood aside and knocked on the counter to get the bartender’s attention.

The bartender, a middle-aged man with a handlebar mustache, quickly came over with a smile after hearing the sound. "What would you like?"

"Some information," Luo said, placing a bill on the counter.

The middle-aged man smiled, took the bill, quickly prepared a drink, and placed it in front of Luo. "Ask away."

Luo glanced at the drink and directly asked, "Any information on the Eagle Squad."

"One hundred thousand Jenny," the bartender replied.

Without hesitation, Luo placed one hundred thousand Jenny on the counter. His conversation with the bartender drew the attention of several men nearby, their eyes showing a hint of greed.

The bartender leisurely took the money and spilled out the information about the Eagle Squad like beans.

Luo listened carefully, and after the bartender finished, he left without touching the drink.

He stayed in the tavern for about half an hour, and Geru still sat in the corner, seemingly not planning to leave.

Luo opened the tavern door and walked out. The six men at the bar exchanged glances, paid their bill, and followed him. One of the men even drank the untouched drink Luo left behind before leaving.

The bartender, experienced and perceptive, guessed what the six men intended to do but didn’t intervene, politely bidding them farewell with a smile.

Luo had learned that the Eagle Squad was a group disliked by the locals, with around a hundred members, each a rogue by nature. However, they had the redeeming quality of working diligently and honestly when employed.

The members of the Eagle Squad shared a common trait: they were all loners and each wanted to visit the Forbidden Zone at least once.

Their base was in a low-lying area with over ten houses all belonging to the Eagle Squad. The locals avoided this area, even if it meant taking a longer route.

After learning the location, Luo didn’t plan to go directly. Instead, he decided to visit Golo’s antique market first.

Compared to approaching the Eagle Squad, searching the market for Nen relics was more important.

"It’s just ten thousand for a piece of information..."

Not long after leaving the tavern, Luo noticed six men following him. They were the ones sitting at the bar and had targeted him because he was unfamiliar.

Luo didn’t plan to deal with these ignorant men for the time being and walked to the antique market, searching the stalls for valuable antiques. He bought anything with high-profit potential.

After two hours of browsing, Luo acquired 2% of data value, increasing the average value to 64%, equivalent to two years of hard training, and double the harvest of Vulture Street. He also bought three valuable antiques, which could be resold for about 1.5 billion Jenny, a fortune made in a breeze.

Without the White Smoke font, finding three highly profitable antiques among countless fakes would have been like searching for a needle in a haystack.

If he visited the Wat Oases again, who knows how much more he could gain? With so many antiques in hand, he should plan a trip to Yorknew in September.

Satisfied with his gains, Luo headed towards the Eagle Squad’s location. The six men followed him through the antique market without giving up, likely thinking Luo had valuable goods, given his purchases.

"The bartender said the Eagle Squad’s location is secluded and rarely visited. I’ll deal with these guys there."

With this thought, Luo walked straight towards the Eagle Squad’s base.

After an hour’s walk, he entered a low-lying area and turned a corner into an alley where a black cat appeared, saying seriously, "Leave it to me~!"

"Get lost."

Without a second thought, Luo shoved the black cat away.

The six men, seeing Luo enter the Eagle Squad’s territory, looked pleased and quickly followed, cornering Luo in an alley covered by a cloth curtain that blocked most sunlight, not realizing Luo had led them there on purpose.

"Crack."

One of the men cracked his knuckles and sneered at Luo, "Hand over the money and avoid getting hurt."

Luo said nothing, picking up six pebble-sized stones from the ground.

At this moment, a neutral female voice came from the alley wall, "Hey, give me fifty thousand, and I’ll deal with them for you."

Luo turned to look at the speaker, a young woman sitting in the corner with a large wrench on her shoulder.

"No need," he refused.

"OK, hey, you guys in front, just pretend I’m invisible," the woman said, twisting her arm and placing the large wrench on her lap.

The six men’s faces darkened, not wanting to waste more time, and rushed towards Luo, intending to rob him.

With a flick of his hand, Luo precisely struck each man’s forehead with a stone, knocking them out.

"Wow!"

The woman on the wall whistled and then said seriously, "Toll fee, fifty thousand."

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