"Scared you, didn't I?"
Her voice came softly, and as she spoke, Arthur spotted her white teeth shining in the darkness.
His heart rate slowed down, as her words played like music in his ears.
I'm not in danger...
He let out a sigh of relief, but the relief was washed away as he questioned his safety again.
"I'm sorry Mother. I just wanted to find you and talk. The door and window were open so I just thought..."
"It is fine, my Arthur." She said, stretching her arms above her head.
Arthur could see the silhouette of her naked body. Her breasts were significantly larger than her slim waist and arms, and they gently swayed from side to side.
He was glad for the darkness, otherwise his red cheeks would be noticed.
"I'm glad that you visited. Not only did I get to test my new ability, but it also saved me the trouble of having to find you."
Mother Lucy tapped her hand on the bed beside her. "Sit."
With nervous steps, Arthur slowly made his way over to her and sat on the bed.
Now up close, he was given a better sight of her, though he tried his best to keep his eyes on her smile.
"I don't want to rush you, but I can't help but feel like I'm being stagnant." Arthur began to explain. "Thousands of murders are happening across the world every day. Killers are working their way up the rankings and strengthening their systems, whilst I just sit in my room and rot. I haven't even received any quests yet."
Mother Lucy slowly nodded her head as Arthurt continued to speak.
It was as though she understood every word he said on a personal level.
Afterwards, she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"There is so much for you to learn, my child."
Afterwards, she began to explain.
"The Serial Killer System does not tell you everything. For example, receiving Quests is rare. As long as you commit a murder, you will increase your ranking, thus earning buffs and abilities. You do not need to wait."
I see.
So, the system wants us to take the initiative ourselves. That makes sense.
It's what a true killer would do.
"Quests are specific to areas and circumstances. Hendonshire is a small town with not much going on. The system hardly bothers with quests over here."
"Is that why you mentioned kill zones before?" Arthur speculated.
Mother Lucy flashed him a proud smile. "Smart little Arthur. You have always been able to use your brain better than the others."
Once again, Arthur blushed.
"Kill Zones is the term serial killers like us use to describe a location in constant action. Most of the time, these will be the major cities, such as London, Brimhaven, Soltham, and more. Most of the high-ranked serial killers in our country will likely operate in one of these zones."
Everything that Lucy said made sense to Arthur.
The Judge, for whatever reason, must want as many serial killers on earth as possible.
In a place like Hendonshire, most killers would be caught after a few kills if they tried to make a name for themselves.
There was no point in trying to set them any quests.
"So that means I need to go to one of these zones and start finding victims for myself?" Arthur proposed, but Mother Lucy shook her head.
"Unfortunately, it's not that simple my dear." She explained carefully. "Not only are these kill zones dangerous for civilians, but they are even more dangerous for us killers as well."
"How so?"
"Well, for starters, we have kill quality. This is a mechanic of the system that grants killers higher rewards for taking down other killers. You are likely to become hunted by higher rankers if you enter into a kill zone."
Arthur's skin began to shiver.
This was a concept that he had never even considered.
To be taken out by another killer.
The thought alone was enough to deter him from the kill zones.
"Secondly, the Defenders work hard to find and take down killers in these zones. Some of them have even got their hands on Artefacts, which allow them to fight against killers that can use countless abilities."
Arthur felt even further discouraged.
There were so many threats that he hadn't even considered.
Mother Lucy must have noticed that he was disheartened as she scooted herself closer to the boy and wrapped her arms around his head.
In a comforting gesture, she rested Arthur's head against her chest. Something that she often did; however, with her being naked, it felt like a different act entirely.
"Do not worry, Arthur. In time, you will be strong enough to enter these zones and make a name for yourself. All you need is patience."
She ran her fingers through his blonde hair. The act sent shivers down his spine.
It felt as though he was in a trance.
"In the meantime, there is something else that you can do. A task that you can help me with... a murder that will certainly improve your strength."
Arthur blinked out of the daze, his attention instantly piqued. "What is it?"
Suddenly, the air seemed to change around Mother Lucy.
It was as though her body went tense, and for the moment, she lost her smile.
"What do you remember about the death of your parents?"
The death of my parents...
The topic no longer brought sadness to Arthur.
Through his teenage years, he had cried so many tears that he eventually became numb.
It didn't bother him to reminisce.
"They died in a fire at our family restaurant. I was outside playing football with my friends. I still remember seeing their charred corpses as they were wheeled out of the building."
Lucy nodded her head slowly, a foreign sadness in her bright blue eyes.
"That's right... it was a terrible day. One of the worst in Hendonshire history. However, there was more to the incident than the town knows."
Arthur pulled away from Mother Lucy and looked up at her. "What do you mean?"
She then let out a deep sigh, before continuing. It seemed to be a hard topic for her to speak about.
"The fire didn't start naturally. It was an incompetent chef who caused it. His name was Mario, and he confessed his sins to the church father. My ex-husband."
Arthur's heart dropped into his chest.
It can't be...
Lucy continued.
"My husband sent the man away to hiding. Told him to live as a eunuch in a town nearby, and repent for his sins. I divorced him afterwards, angered that he could let such a man get away."
All Arthur could do was stare at her in disbelief. The forgotten sorrow of his parent's death threatened to creep back into him.
But before they could, Mother Lucy grabbed a tight hold of both of Arthur's shoulders and stared intensely into the man's dark eyes.
"But I've found him, my sweet Arthur! I've found where Mario's staying."
Her went serious. Desperate.
"And his life belongs to you."