Gourmet Hunter (HxH Fanfic)

In the Hunter x Hunter World, there are six continents, ten districts, five major countries, and many small dictatorial countries.

But no matter where it is, the existence of slums was a universal norm.

The stark divide between wealth and poverty was marked by walls, barbed-wire fences, or even a simple boundary line.

For those living in the slums, the 'wall of shame' that draws the dividing line, the 'web of despair' that stands before their eyes, or even the white line that is just one step away, are all impassable barriers.

When Law and Sanbica arrived at the slum's outskirts, they saw a group of people in white protective suits using high-temperature flamethrowers to incinerate corpses.

The acrid, unpleasant stench drifted over from far away, and the inky black smoke rushed into the sky.

The location was part of a city, but a boundary line had been drawn to separate the bright and the dark, life and death.

Armed soldiers with indifferent expressions stood in front of the border line, forming an impassable barrier for the slum's inhabitants.

The pile of corpses could only stay within the line until death, and then quietly wait for the so-called 'purifying' flames to consume them.

Many people have already died, but there are countless others who were still alive.

On one side were the burning dead, and on the other side were the living people staring blankly at the bodies. Further away, was a group of low buildings with more people struggling inside.

The group of living people were barely clothed, emaciated, with looks of despair on their faces and extremely gloomy moods. At this time, they could only sit down on the ground motionlessly.

Among the crowd, there were a few people who were obviously dressed differently, but they were also in very bad spirits, with sunken cheeks and looked like they were severely malnourished.

When Law and Sanbica approached, a soldier quickly stepped forward to drive them away. However, when Sanbica showed her Hunter License, the soldier's rigid demeanor softened instantly.

After Sanbica explained their purpose, the soldier led them to a nearby tent.

Inside, a pot-bellied officer sat on a chair, flanked by two men in white coats, one middle-aged and the other an old man with gray hair.

"You want to go in?" The officer looked at Sanbica with an indifferent tone.

The two men, who seemed to be doctors, seemed visibly surprised by the request.

"Yes." Sanbica said.

The officer let out a cold chuckle and said coldly: "Don't say I didn't remind you. Not long ago, a total of forty-seven volunteers entered that godforsaken place. Now, thirty of them are dead, and the remaining seventeen are crying and begging to leave."

"But, unfortunately for them, they won't be coming back. They can only wait to die in there."

"Do you know why?"

Hearing the officer's cold words, the two doctors sighed silently, frowned, their brows furrowed in deep concern.

"I do." Sanbica said calmly, "It's because of an unknown infectious virus that has left you at your wits' end."

Her voice, which is light and lilting like a wind chime, carried a faint hint of sarcasm.

The officer caught Sanbica's sarcasm, but he was not angry. Resting his cheek on his hand, he cast a sidelong glance at the two doctors and sneered, "Indeed, what can we do when these doctors are so utterly helpless?"

With just one casual remark, he shifted the blame entirely.

Hearing this, Sanbica's eyes burned with anger. She had looked up the relevant information before coming here. While she didn't know the details, she could still guess some things.

It wasn't that the doctors weren't willing to do their best to solve the issue, but that the people in power in this city simply had no intention of addressing this matter. If it weren't for humanitarian reasons, they would have let the military burn down the entire slum long ago, as it would be a simple and thorough method.

Of course, there is another reason not to do this, which is, they could exploit the situation for personal gain.

"Just let me in." Sanbica took a deep breath and then said.

"Oh, that's no problem at all." The officer said lightly.

They did not ask the Hunters Association for help, nor were they obligated to provide assistance to Hunters who came here spontaneously. If Sanbica wanted to go in and die there, he had no reason to stop her.

Even if Sanbica could help them solve the problem, they would not pay her.

Seeing that the officer agreed, Sanbica signaled Law with her eyes that they could leave, then she turned around and left.

"There's something I'm curious about." However, Law didn't move, but stood there while looking at the officer.

Upon hearing this, Sanbica stopped and turned to look at Law with a puzzled look in her eyes.

"Oh?" The officer looked at Law lazily.

Law raised his index finger and said calmly, "Food."

When the officer heard this, his eyes grew colder and he just stared at Law without saying a word.

"Your reaction confirms my suspicion." Law sighed and said, "So, you've really cut off the material aid. In other words, you happily swallowed up the donations from the outside world."

The group of emaciated people not far from the border line was what made Law notice this.

Before coming here, Sanbica had described the slum's situation to Law. Out of trust in Sanbica, Law wasn't overly concerned about the unknown infectious virus. Instead, he was thinking about whether there was anything to eat in such a completely sealed-off area.

In this regard, Sanbica dispelled Law's doubts, saying that the government would provide material aid on a regular basis. However, the reality is cruel.

"They're going to die anyway, so there's no point wasting resources on them." The officer said coldly.

Sanbica hadn't considered such details. She just wanted to go into the slums to help deal with the virus. Hearing the exchange, she quickly grasped the situation and glared angrily at the fat officer.

At this time, Law silently pulled out a bank card, held it between his index and middle fingers, and said with a faint smile: "There is 100 million Jenny in this card, do you want it?"

This card was given to Law by Kenda. It is also the bank's highest VIP level black card with 100 million Jenny in it. The officer recognized the black card at a glance, and greed immediately appeared in his eyes.

"Looks like you do." Law smiled and said lightly: "All you have to do is resume material aid after we go in, and this 100 million Jenny will be yours."

The officer's eyes widened in excitement. He immediately perked up, straightened his posture, and said without hesitation: "Deal."

When Law proposed the terms of the deal, he would agree to it no matter what. He would get the money first, and whether he followed through the deal afterward would depend on his mood.

"Law..." Sanbica frowned. She didn't want to compromise with the officer who showed no intention of taking responsibility.

Law raised his hand to stop her from talking, then glanced at the two stunned doctors and said with a smile: "Oh, sorry, I forgot there are outsiders here. I guess this counts as bribery. But you don't mind, do you?"

After hearing Law's words, the two doctors turned pale, feeling as though they had been plunged into an icy abyss.

The officer glanced coldly at the two frightened doctors and said in a deep voice, "Don't worry, I don't mind."

"That's good."

Law casually tossed the black card onto the table in front of the officer.

The fat officer snatched it up in an instant, then lowered his head to take a closer look. His face lit up with unrestrained greed as he confirmed the card was genuine.

After a while, he looked up at Law. He was about to ask for the password and confirm the funds, but he saw Law standing quietly in front of the table, looking at him with a smile on his face.

The fat officer was stunned for a moment, only to hear Law restrain his smile and said coldly: "I was just teasing you."

"You..." The fat officer became angry when he heard this. Then, his eyes suddenly blurred and he saw the young man before him is holding a beating heart. Then, his expression twisted as a sharp pain stabbed his chest.

Law gently pinched the beating heart and said calmly: "Don't doubt it. This is your heart."

He refrained from squeezing too hard, as he considered that if the officer screamed in pain, it would inevitably attract the soldiers standing guard outside the tent.

It's no that Law would be afraid if the officer called the soldiers. He just disliked unnecessary trouble.

One hundred million Jenny is not a small amount. But before coming to the slums, Law didn't mind using it if it could be helpful to Sanbica.

While it is the time to use it, but Law would rather burn the card than let the fat officer benefit from it. Besides... threats worked far better than bribes.