Trouble

As the morning passed and the afternoon rush approached, the restaurant reopened on time. Ryan resumed his usual tasks, expecting the day to go smoothly. However, his hopes were quickly shattered when two familiar thugs entered through the door.

The moment Ryan saw them, he knew trouble was coming. It was almost like an unwritten law—what you fear the most will eventually happen.

The two thugs spotted Ryan as well and exchanged smug looks, their expressions filled with provocation. Ryan knew things were about to take a bad turn, but as a waiter, it was his job to serve customers. Suppressing his irritation, he approached their table and asked politely, "Hello, sir. What would you like to order?"

One of them sneered and replied, "Can you say that again, but more politely?" His tone was mocking, as if testing Ryan's patience.

Ryan clenched his fists internally but kept his composure. He repeated in the same tone, "Hello, sir. What would you like to order?"

The second thug, clearly unhappy with Ryan's lack of submissiveness, pushed his chair back and stood up, ready to escalate the situation. But before anything could happen, Bell stepped in. She placed a hand on Ryan's shoulder and said, "I'll handle this."

Turning to the thugs, she smiled and said, "Sorry, he's new here. So, what would you two gentlemen like to order?"

Seeing Bell, the thugs quieted down and ordered a regular dish. She quickly took their order and returned to the kitchen. As she passed Ryan, she whispered, "I know they're here with bad intentions. Stay away from them—I'll take care of it."

Understanding the situation, Ryan nodded. He had no desire to get involved in unnecessary conflict.

---

A while later, Bell served their food, but as expected, the troublemakers weren't here for a meal.

One of them suddenly shouted, "Hey! There's a fly in the soup! Is this what you serve your customers?"

He lifted the bowl high, making sure everyone in the restaurant could see. The diners fell silent. They knew the restaurant's reputation and trusted its quality. More importantly, they understood that these two were deliberately trying to stir up trouble.

The thugs, however, weren't looking for customer support—they were targeting Miss Prim and Bell.

Bell remained calm, despite knowing they had planted the insect themselves. She stepped forward and said, "Apologies, sir. We'll replace your meal, and it'll be on the house today."

But the thugs weren't satisfied. Smirking, one of them grabbed the tablecloth and yanked it, sending dishes crashing to the floor.

Ryan's patience snapped. Seeing Bell being harassed like this, he couldn't just stand by. He stepped forward and said, "Sir, we sincerely apologize. We'll cover the cost of the meal and replace your dishes. Please let us make it right."

One of the thugs turned to him and sneered. "And who are you, waiter? Trying to play the hero?"

Without warning, he shoved Ryan, causing him to stumble and catch himself on another table. The second thug took a step forward, ready to throw a punch.

But before he could, a sharp voice rang out.

"Enough!"

Everyone turned as Miss Prim stepped forward, her expression firm and unwavering. "If you have a complaint, take it up with me—the owner of this restaurant. I've handled people like you all my life, and I can still handle you now."

The thugs exchanged glances. They had come to cause trouble, not to get into a real confrontation. Giving Ryan one last glare, they turned and left.

As soon as they were gone, Bell hurried over to Ryan, concern evident on her face. "Are you okay? Why did you step in? I told you I could handle them."

Ryan didn't respond. His face was cold as ice.

He was truly angry. If the opportunity arose, he would make sure those two learned a painful lesson.

---

The afternoon shift eventually ended. Out of curiosity—and a desire for information—Ryan decided to visit the site of last night's incident.

After changing into casual clothes, he made his way to the area. It was on the outskirts of the outer city, just before the slum district began. Upon arriving, he saw police officers patrolling, questioning residents about any suspicious individuals.

Looking around, Ryan noticed bullet holes in the walls and a completely demolished house. He was once again reminded of the sheer power of knights.

He couldn't help but wish for that strength himself.

The thought crossed his mind—perhaps the next plane he would travel to could grant him extraordinary abilities. With the Limitless Star almost filled, that moment was drawing closer.

Satisfied with what he had learned, Ryan returned to the restaurant, and time moved forward.

---

Fifteen days passed in routine work. During that time, the restaurant remained peaceful. No other thugs showed up, and Ryan focused on his job while feeling the Limitless Star nearing completion.

Finally, he decided it was time to take on an assassination mission.

Before that, however, he needed to procure a batch of poison and weapons for both offense and personal safety. He knew exactly where to go—the Star Pub.

That evening, Ryan arrived at the pub. The bartender recognized him instantly and greeted him. "Sir, would you like your usual drink?"

Ryan gave a slight nod.

"Please head to Room 1. Your order will be delivered shortly," the bartender said.

Ryan entered the private room and waited. Soon, a waiter arrived with a drink and a list of available contracts.

Glancing through the list, Ryan's eyes landed on a particular target—Hook, the leader of the Hook Gang.

This gang had been formed by former pirate members, and their leader, Hook, was notorious. From the information Ryan had gathered, Hook was not a knight. His defining feature was his missing left hand, which had been replaced with a metal hook—hence his name.

Calling himself "Captain Hook," the man had built his gang from the ground up.

Ryan smirked. He already had some knowledge of this gang.

It was time to put his skills to the test.