Location
Banshee Town, Pennsylvania.
Inside Miles' restaurant, the traveler curiously observed the police station across the parking lot. On the station's red brick exterior wall, the four letters "CADI" stood out prominently.
As a fan of the American TV series, when he saw the strange yet familiar building, he immediately recognized it as the Banshee Town police station from the show Banshee.
Combining this with the original owner's memories, Ethan Morgan discovered that he was the son of Morgan, the town's former sheriff. After graduating from the Philadelphia Police Academy, Ethan had unexpectedly turned down an opportunity to work for the Philadelphia Police Department and instead returned home to be with his father, who was the police chief here.
Unfortunately, the elder Morgan was diagnosed with advanced liver cancer. After arranging Ethan's job through his connections, he fell seriously ill and passed away. Less than two days after the funeral, Ethan drove to the precinct to apply for the position.
He had only stopped for lunch, but his mind was still numb from everything that had happened after his father's death—and from the journey to this point, to a world where American TV series and movies converged.
Ethan found the restroom, turned on the faucet, splashed a handful of water on his face, and wiped it vigorously.
Looking into the mirror, Ethan was quite satisfied with his appearance after traveling through time. He felt a little like a young Keanu Reeves.
Smoothing his short black hair, he turned off the faucet and returned to his seat.
Staring at his half-eaten, now-cold macaroni, Ethan lost his appetite.
He pulled some bills from his wallet, placed them under the plate, crossed the parking lot, and opened the police station's glass door.
An African-American woman sat behind the reception desk. She put down the newspaper she was holding and looked at Ethan inquisitively.
—Sir, how can I help you?
—Hello, I'm here to complete the onboarding procedures.
—Ethan Morgan?.
After seeing Ethan nod, the woman happily stepped away from the reception desk and gave him a gentle hug.
—I've been waiting for you for a long time. Brock said you'd be coming today. The old sheriff was a good man. God bless him. Call me Alma. That's all.
—Thank you, Alma. Where is Officer Lotus?.
—He's out on patrol. I'll call him back now. Wait here.
Alma returned to her seat, picked up the radio, and made a call.
After sitting in a chair against the wall, Ethan curiously examined the layout of the police station.
Years ago, a fire had consumed the old station. The new headquarters was established in an abandoned 1940s Cadillac dealership that had gone bankrupt. His gaze then fell upon an old Cadillac Imperial, its faded shine speaking of better days as it was displayed in front of a large window.
There were a few desks in the middle of the hallway, next to the Sheriff's Office.
A few minutes later, the glass door swung open.
A police officer in a dark blue uniform entered. He was a middle-aged white man with a large belly, and his bald head gleamed under the sunlight.
Ethan immediately recognized him as Officer Brock Lotus from the Banshee Police Department. The original owner had also met him at the old Morgan's funeral.
Ethan stood up, approached him, and shook his hand.
—Good morning, Deputy Lotus. I'm here today to complete my onboarding procedures. Please excuse me."
From now on, we're colleagues. Just call me Brock.
After greeting Alma, Brock patted Ethan on the shoulder and gestured for him to follow.
Adjusting his belt, Brock sat down in his office chair and looked at Ethan with concern.
—Are you sure you don't need a few more days to rest? After all, your father just passed away.
Ethan sat in the chair across from him and shook his head.
—No, I just want to get to work as soon as possible.
Brock nodded.
—Alright, it's your call.
Then he took a few documents from the desk, handed them to Ethan along with a pen, and said:
—Look these over. If everything's in order, just sign them.
—It's just a formality. Chief Morgan arranged everything before he passed. You also graduated from the police academy, so there's no issue.
Ethan casually skimmed through the documents and signed his name. These were standard papers, not business contracts, so he only needed a rough understanding of them.
Brock organized the files and placed them back in the drawer.
—Welcome to the Banshee Town Police Department. You can start work tomorrow. I'll introduce you to your colleagues then.
—Alright, thanks. I'll be back tomorrow.
Ethan and Brock said their goodbyes to Alma and left.
There was a reason the original owner had left Philadelphia and rushed back to this small American town—if you messed with the wrong person or took something you shouldn't have, trouble would inevitably come knocking.
After attending his graduation party, Ethan had gone to a bar alone. With his good looks, he had hooked up with a fiery Spanish girl.
After an intense night, he had barely had time to get dressed before being chased for three blocks by someone with a gun.
If he had stayed in Philadelphia, sooner or later, that gunman would have found him. In a panic, the original owner had rushed back to his residence, packed his bags, and fled to Banshee.
Now, that problem was his. But Ethan wasn't worried.
Returning to his parked Ford F-150, he thought for a moment, and suddenly, a translucent screen of light appeared before his eyes.
Name: Ethan Morgan
Combat Skill:
Novice: Has gained some practice and demonstrates better coordination and control in fights.
Firearms Proficiency:
Novice: Has trained a bit more and has better weapon control.
Dimensional Storage: 1 cubic meters.
Skill Points: 0
Beginner Mission: Join the Banshee Town Police Department – Completed.
This was the system he had discovered after traveling through time—and the source of his confidence. With the system in his body, all he needed was time to grow. The system panel was very simple, even rudimentary.
The status of the beginner mission changed. Ethan clicked the completion button, and the mission disappeared. A new one didn't appear, but he didn't mind. When he first arrived in this world, he had tried communicating with the system, but there had been no response. His system was rather basic.
Ethan checked again and found two additional items in the dimensional storage:
A blue book and a glass tube filled with red liquid.
As his mind focused on the objects, a text description appeared.
"Skill Book: Grants +1 skill point upon use, which can be allocated to improve a skill level."
"Physical Enhancement Potion: Improves physical fitness upon consumption."
Without hesitation, he took the skill book from storage and opened it. The next moment, the book transformed into points of light and vanished from his hand.
The skill points on his system panel changed from 0 to 1.
At the same time, a (+) sign appeared next to both Combat and Firearms Proficiency.
Considering his future career, combat could be improved later, but aiming was more urgent. So, he decisively clicked the (+) sign next to Firearms Proficiency.
As the (+) disappeared, his proficiency level changed from Novice to Competent. A sharp pain shot through his head, and suddenly, a flood of firearm-handling experience surged into his mind.
Ethan flexed his fingers, then assumed a gun-holding stance, lifting and lowering his arm quickly, repeating the action several times as if he had undergone extensive training.
Regaining his senses, Ethan looked at the Physical Enhancement Potion in storage, wondering what changes the mysterious red liquid might bring.
However, he resisted the urge to take it. After all, he was still sitting in his car in the parking lot.
Not knowing what would happen after drinking it, he decided to go home first.
Turning the key in the ignition, he started the engine, gripped the steering wheel firmly, and drove toward his father's house.