6 5.Gathering Information

'.....'= Thoughts 

"....."= Conversations 

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To be honest, Lexington was smallest town he had ever seen. The people living here did not even cross the number 500. Moroeover another town closest to it was about 600 miles away from here.

Ethan couldn't help but feel doubtful as he wandered the streets of Lexington. The town was so small, it was almost hard to believe that people actually lived here. Just like the house he broke in yesterday, there were lot of empty houses in the town.

As he walked, Ethan couldn't help but wonder about the person who ran this town. Who could possibly be in charge of such a remote and isolated place? And how did they manage to keep it running? It was a mystery to him.

The lack of law enforcement in the town also caught Ethan's attention. Back in the cities, there were always patrols, security cameras, and a strong police presence. But here, it was like the town was left to fend for itself. It was both unsettling and intriguing to Ethan. He couldn't help but wonder how the people of Lexington managed to live without the protection of law enforcement. Were they all fiercely independent, or was there some other reason behind it?

Ethan decided to do some digging to find out more about the person in charge of the town and the state of the law division. He approached a few locals, striking up conversations and subtly steering them towards the topic of the town's leadership. He was met with cautious responses, as if the residents were reluctant to speak too openly about it. It became clear to Ethan that there was something about the town's leader that made people uneasy.

After some more discreet inquiries, Ethan finally got a lead. It seemed that the town was run by a reclusive figure known as Old Man Wilson. The locals spoke of him in hushed tones, as if he were some kind of enigma.

Ethan's instincts told him that there was more to the story, but he decided to stop for now as any more of his advances would attract unnecessary attention towards him.

After a long day of gathering information, Ethan found himself seeking comfort in the surroundings of the local tavern. The warm glow of the fire, the hearty smell of stew and ale, and the lively chatter of the patrons created a sense of community that he found comforting in this unfamiliar town.

As he enjoyed his meal, Ethan couldn't help but mull over the unsettling encounters he had earlier. The cautious responses of the townspeople had confirmed his suspicions that there was something amiss about the town's leader. It was clear that the residents were reluctant to speak openly about the person in charge, and Ethan's instincts told him that there was more to the story than met the eye.

Finishing his meal, Ethan made his way back to the house he had broken into the day before. As he walked through the quiet streets, he couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that had settled over him. The mysterious aura surrounding the town's leader and the guarded responses of the locals kept playing on his mind.

Arriving near the house, Ethan observed his surroundings and, after concluding that no one was watching him, he sneakily entered the house.

Entering the house, Ethan settled into a chair by the fireplace, deep in thought. He wondered what he should do about his Talent. Though he could copy the ability of a person, but he didn't want to use it on anyone norma for the first time as it would waste the gift pack he recieved.

No matter how special or unique a person may be, their specialty definitely would not exceed that of a vampire or a shapeshifter.

'If only I could copy a vampire's abilities,' Ethan thought, but after a few seconds, he shook his head. This was not something that could be easily done. Even if he found a vampire, he knew that he would be the first to die before even trying to copy their abilities.

'Let's take it slow. Time is not something that I lack, after all. I must find a job first, otherwise I will die of hunger after a few days,' Ethan decided, calming himself down and resolving to be patient. Moreover, all the money he had found in the house had already been spent on food and gathering information. Therefore, his first priority was to find a job with an appropriate pay.

He was not in any kind of danger, nor did he have any enemies who were after his life. So he toned down his excitement, which might have led him to make some risky and unnecessary decisions.

He also wanted to experiment whether he could grow stronger by just normal physical training without copying any abilities at first.

With his plans set and his resolve firm, Ethan retired for the night, knowing that the coming days would bring both uncertainty and opportunity.

As Ethan settled into his bed, the only source of light in the small house was the soft glow of the fireplace, casting flickering shadows across the room. The crackling of the embers filled the silence as he closed his eyes, his mind already racing with plans for the days ahead. Slowly, the fire dimmed and finally went out, leaving the room cloaked in darkness as Ethan drifted off to sleep.

...

....

A few hours before dawn, while Ethan and the entire town were asleep, ten people appeared at the entrance of the town. Their faces were covered, and they held muskets in their hands.

After dividing themselves into five groups of two people each, they rushed towards five different houses rapidly.

One group approached the house in which Ethan was asleep.

Ethan was in a deep slumber, completely unaware of the danger looming just outside his home. The sound of footsteps approaching his door did not disturb him in the least, and he remained blissfully ignorant of the impending threat.

Meanwhile, outside his home, the masked intruders crept closer and closer, their movements quick and decisive. The two of them cautiously pushed open the door and entered the darkened interior of Ethan's home.

One of the intruders stumbled over a stray piece of furniture, causing a soft thud that reverberated through the quiet house. It was a small sound, barely discernible, but it was enough to stir Ethan from his sleep.

Groggy and disoriented, Ethan's eyes struggled to focus in the darkness as he tried to make sense of the noise. Before he could fully comprehend the situation, a sudden blow to the back of his head sent waves of blinding pain through his skull. The intruder had struck him with the butt of a musket, and Ethan's world spun dizzily before everything went black.

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