After some time, Ethan emerged from the abandoned factory, no longer clad in the tattered, bloodstained clothes from his hunt. Instead, he wore fresh attire from the bag he had found earlier—a faded sky-blue T-shirt and a pair of jean shorts. The clothes were clean but far from new or stylish.
The sun was setting, painting the sky with strokes of orange, and Ethan stretched his limbs, carefully navigating his way through the debris-strewn floor to avoid any new injuries.
Once free from the confines of the decrepit factory, he found himself on the streets, which were nearly deserted as most people had retreated to their homes for the evening.
Ethan didn't hesitate; he promptly headed toward home. As he took a familiar shortcut through an alleyway, which would get him there quicker, a voice suddenly interrupted his stride.
"Hey!" The voice stopped Ethan in his tracks, a voice he recognized all too well.
It belonged to one of the notorious twin bullies from the third district known as the 'demonic duo.'
Like most people in the third district, they were not awakened, just a pair of bandits who brought fear to the locals.
What set these two apart from other run-of-the-mill thugs was their affiliation with the district master—they were his henchmen.
The district master, unlike the rest of the third district's residents, was an awakened individual. He was the self-proclaimed ruler, reigning over the district's underworld of banditry and illicit trade, extorting property and finances by force.
Ethan was aware that the district master wasn't particularly strong by awakened standards; he was simply a small fish in a big pond who had chosen a powerless community to dominate. Yet, Ethan also knew he wasn't yet strong enough to confront him, so he opted to halt and confront the duo instead.
Turning around, Ethan was faced with two slightly muscular men sporting exaggerated red Mohawk haircuts. The one with a disturbing scar across his face, adorned with a black stripe through his red Mohawk, was known as the first demon, while his companion was the second demon.
As Ethan stopped, a smug smile spread across the first demon's face, his demeanor oozing arrogance as he approached.
"How are you doing, Ethan, my boy?" the first demon inquired, his voice dripping with insincere cordiality as they closed in on him.
"I'm doing just fine... What do you want?" Ethan replied, cutting straight to the chase.
"Oh, it's nothing much, just here to collect your 'protection fee' for you and your lovely sister," the first demon said, his emphasis on 'sister' thinly veiling a threat should Ethan refuse to pay.
Ethan's expression darkened at the mention of the so-called protection fee, especially the insinuated menace toward his sister, which he found disconcerting.
This 'protection fee' was a levy the district master imposed on every inhabitant of the third district under the guise of safeguarding them. In truth, it was extortion—protection from the district master and his cronies themselves. Not paying meant facing their retribution, a fate Ethan and his sister needed to avoid.
"You know we've been working hard to protect this district from attacking demonic beasts and paying off officials to send resources here. So why the frown?" the first demon pressed, noticing the displeasure on Ethan's face.
Ethan's frown deepened, knowing full well that every word spilling from the first demon's mouth was a complete fabrication.
But after a moment, he relaxed his expression and lifted his wrist, transferring 10 points from his hunter watch to theirs—5 for his protection fee and 5 for Ava's.
He intended to keep trouble with the so-called district master at bay, at least until he was strong enough to confront them. He wasn't particularly afraid of the district master himself, but he dreaded the thought of Ava becoming a target should they have a fallout. Ethan was determined to prevent that at all costs.
Having paid up, Ethan saw no reason to stick around and quickly turned to leave.
But before he could take a step, the first demon's voice halted him again.
"Wait, aren't you forgetting something?" he said with a sly tone.
Ethan turned back to face them, perplexed.
"Forgetting what? I don't think so. I've paid the protection fee. What else is there?" he asked, his confusion evident.
"It's about time you start giving us a bonus for the extra protection we provide for your lovely sister," the second demon piped up, speaking for the first time since their encounter began.
Ethan's frown returned as he stared at them, baffled by their demand.
Seeing the confusion on Ethan's face, the first demon began to elucidate.
"You see, the district master has a particular fondness for pretty, young women—like your sister. And, you know, he always gets his way. It's thanks to us that he hasn't laid a hand on her yet. Don't you think we deserve a bonus for keeping her safe from his... attentions?" he inquired.
Rage surged within Ethan the moment those words left the first demon's mouth.
His sister Ava was just fifteen years old, and here they were, insinuating something so vile, something that stirred Ethan's killing intent.
Although he was no crusading hero in his past life, the mere thought of such a despicable act, especially against a child—and against his sister—was enough to arouse a deep-seated fury.
Ava might not have been his biological sister, but he was now living in her brother's body and felt a brother's protective instinct.
The memories of Ethan, which felt as though he had lived them himself, came with emotions that were now his own. At that moment, the instinct to eliminate the demonic duo was almost overwhelming, but Ethan managed to regain control before he lost all sense of reason.
"I don't have any more points to give," Ethan stated, disregarding the duo as he turned to walk away once again.
Just as he was about to step away, a firm hand clamped onto his shoulder.
"How dare you walk away from me," growled the angry voice of the first demon from behind him.