Martin woke as sunlight streamed through his window.
He judged it to be around 9:00 a.m. He rose, splashed his face with water from the bucket outside, then warmed up the leftover chicken from yesterday, which he had cooked to prevent it from spoiling.
After his meal, he returned to his room and sat down to think.
"Attacking people made perfect sense at first, but now that I don't know who might be a shapeshifter, it's become a dangerous issue," he reasoned.
Normally, attacking people would be a wise tactic.
As an expert in assassination, even a physically strong man would stand no chance against a surprise attack.
But in this world, he had to hold back. He kept his axe next to his bed, just in case.
He needed to gather more information about the world and its inhabitants.
"Killing farm animals will be fine for a while,"
"But if I keep it up, I'll get caught eventually."
He hung his axe at his waist and walked down the village's stone road, a path built by the villagers for occasional caravans.
He noticed three young men, between 16 and 18 years old, arguing.
Martin stayed hidden, listening.
"You are useless, and you don't want to work. You're disrespecting my father!" a physically imposing teenager named Malnik yelled at a much smaller boy, who looked terrified.
Martin watched the weak boy with disgust. He hated the look of fear in the boy's eyes. It was a sign of weakness.
Physical size and strength meant nothing to Martin; a knife to the neck was a great equalizer.
Another boy with Malnik spoke up.
"Malnik, why are you wasting your time on this useless piece of shit? My father already kicked him out for not working. Nobody's going to help him. Let's go." The boy spat on the ground near the skinny teenager, and they walked away.
The small boy simply sat on the grass, a look of profound despair on his face.
He didn't realize a hunter was watching him.
A great pain suddenly gripped the boy's head, and his eyes turned red.
He just wanted to close his eyes and sleep, but he didn't.
Martin, a wide smile on his face, looked around to ensure no one was watching.
He then threw his axe directly at the boy's head, killing him instantly.
Moving quickly, he retrieved the axe and struck the boy's neck twice to ensure the kill was secure. He then ran home, using nearby leaves to wipe the blood from his weapon.
A short time later, he entered the forest where other men were working, faking the sound of chopping wood.
His purpose was simple: he saw the other teenagers arguing with the victim, and a few villagers had witnessed it.
When the body was found, they would assume the teenagers had killed him. This would ensure his own safety.
Minutes later, a woman's scream echoed through the forest.
The village men, including Martin, dropped their axes and ran toward the sound.
Martin, ever the opportunist, quickly swapped his axe for another man's, making sure they looked similar enough not to be noticed, then joined the other men running to investigate.