[The Butler]

The Butler's weapon was a transparent glove as thin as a cicada's wing.

This glove was a perfect match for his mysterious nature, able to convert his originally support-oriented abilities into combat power. It was his lifebound object.

A stranger's hand rested on his shoulder, ready to grip his throat at any moment. The Butler's entire body was tense, daring not to make any sudden moves lest he invite a fatal strike.

Sudden moves were out of the question, but small ones were constant.

His hand, already slipped to his waist, had touched the glove.

The single glove seemed to possess its own spirit—upon contact, it flowed like liquid and wrapped itself around his hand automatically.

He was fully prepared for battle.

"Sir, entering uninvited hardly makes you a guest. Let's cut to the chase—what do you want with me?"

"A 'fish' of mine went missing. It ended up in your hands."

Through the car's rearview mirror, the Butler had already caught a glimpse of Huangyi's face in his peripheral vision.

Huangyi hadn't pulled up his hood; his head, composed entirely of gleaming points of light, was left completely exposed.

The Butler frowned inwardly: "A bizarre entity? Why would it come after me? And what 'fish' is it talking about?"

The Butler was not one to let others take the initiative. He shifted his body slightly, trying to shake off the hand on his shoulder.

The yellow-robed figure paid his small movements no mind and casually withdrew its arm.

With the threat at his neck gone, the Butler acted with ruthless decisiveness, exploding with startling speed and agility.

He flung open the car door, leapt out, spun into a defensive stance, and shouted at the top of his lungs: "Who are you?"

The Butler's car was parked not far from the Hamburger Workshop guild hall. His shout was meant to attract the guild members' attention.

By all common sense, no one would intentionally start a violent incident on another guild's doorstep.

But all around him was silence.

"Save your breath. Your voice can't travel out." Huangyi remained seated in the back, making no move to follow.

The next moment, the Butler's car was enveloped and corroded by a yellow glow, as if an invisible force had dissolved it into a "light-car" made of luminous points.

Huangyi snapped his fingers. The "light-car" shattered into countless sparks, flashed brilliantly, and vanished without a trace.

Right before the Butler's eyes, his car disintegrated into light, leaving behind only the rear seats.

The seats survived because the yellow-robed figure still needed a chair beneath him.

"Where's my 'fish'?" This second asking carried obvious impatience in Huangyi's tone.

The Butler's mind raced. Then, as if a switch had flipped: "Are you talking about Water-Eye?"

"Water-Eye? I believe that name has been used."

"Your 'fish' is currently in the hands of a mystic named Chen Miemie." The Butler's heart leaped with relief; he threw the blame without hesitation.

"Where is he?"

"I don't know his exact residence, but he's a witch descendant, and the witches' main stronghold is at the city library."

Huangyi said nothing, seeming to ponder.

"Sir, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave." The Butler made no mention of his destroyed car.

Huangyi waved a hand.

A thunderous bang.

The Butler was blasted off his feet by an invisible force, slammed against a nearby car with such power that his body caved into the frame, leaving a man-shaped dent.

"Argh!" The Butler spat out a mouthful of blood.

"You think I'm a fool? The 'fish's' aura is clearly on you, yet you drag in the witches, hoping to send me into a blood feud with them? You either produce the 'fish' today, or you stay here."

The Butler slowly rose, wiping the blood off his lips.

"Going too far. I only avoided trouble because I didn't want a needless enemy. You think I fear you? 「Dustless Domain」—activate!"

With the Butler's strike, the air around suddenly turned hazy gray.

The gray particles flooded directly into Huangyi's seven orifices. Once inside, they condensed into countless tiny spikes.

Against an ordinary mystic caught off guard, one hit from this technique—spikes like iron nails rammed into the skull through the seven orifices—would pop their head like a melon.

Unfortunately, Huangyi's head was made of light, which didn't care for physical attacks—at least not this degree of them.

"Neat little trick. You control the dust within a radius of a dozen meters, gather it, and shape it into weapons. All using dust, yet you call it 「Dustless Domain」."

Seeing his attack have zero effect, the Butler tensed all over, ignoring the faint mockery in Huangyi's words:

"All the dust's gathered in one place—so everywhere else is naturally 'dustless.'"

Huangyi glanced around. Even in the night, his vision was startling clear. The area was indeed spotless.

"Interesting. No wonder they call you 'Butler'—you're certainly good at cleaning house."

"I admit I'm no match for you, but this is the Hamburger Workshop's doorstep. With all this commotion, do you really want to make an enemy of an entire guild?

And I swear I'm not lying. That day, not just our guild, but members of the Shedding Skin Clinic and the constables can all testify that Water-Eye fell into Chen Miemie's possession."

"I'll deal with Chen Miemie myself. But the 'fish' lost was from your hand, so the responsibility is yours. Here's the deal: since you're so fond of reaching out to grab fish, cut off your own arms."

"I can offer compensation in time."

"Time means nothing to me."

"Then I have several valuable items."

"Words are useless."

"So you're giving me no room at all?" The Butler was hardly willing to cripple himself.

Huangyi gave no further answer.

Two silent blades of light cut through the air.

The Butler's arms were severed cleanly at the shoulder, the cut smooth as a mirror.

"Ahh!" Even with the Butler's composure, the sheer agony drove him to the ground, crying out in a low, broken moan.

From his crumpled position, he saw the hem of Huangyi's yellow robe approaching.

"What you lost, you retrieve. Those arms are just interest. I give you three days. If the 'fish' isn't in hand by then, your life comes due."

The Butler was now lying in a spreading pool of blood. After one or two pained cries, he gritted his teeth and forced out a laugh:

"Kill me? Maybe you're not afraid of the Hamburger Workshop, but I'm Luo Wen. How will you answer to my family?"

Huangyi had been about to leave. He paused mid-step: "Luo? That great scholar, the 「Logic Pledgor」—what is he to you?"

"He's my father."

"Ah!" The Butler screamed again.

A fresh blade of light sheared off his left leg.

Huangyi left his final words behind:

"Perfect. I happen to have unfinished business with your father. In three days, bring him here. I'll settle you both together."