Arthur sat alone on the park bench, hidden beneath his black hoodie, fingers brushing the knife tucked into his sleeve.
His sharp gaze scanned the empty path ahead, waiting.
Anyone. Just someone.
Come on… come on, come on, come on…
His head throbbed. It always did now. He knew why.
It had started five years ago, the same day his parents died. That was when he appeared.
The Judge.
A shadow in human shape. Offering a deal.
Power, for murder.
Arthur hadn't taken it. His first quest had appeared not long after:
[First Kill]
[Eliminate a target of your choice]
[Reward — Class Awakening | $1000 transfer | Serial Killer Ranking]
He ignored it. Especially after seeing that last reward.
All killers knew about the rankings. All killers knew about The Judge.
Everyone that had been visited by Judge was able to look at the rankings. Those in the top hundred were notorious killers known all around the world.
However, the list stretched all the way into the millions.
Arthur knew what happened to those who refused to play after being visited.
Like him, they would be battered with sickness and physical ailments until they finally gave in.
And that was exactly where Arthur was.
Past his breaking point.
The headaches... they just keep getting worse.
He continued to brush his thumb against the handle of his knife. The sensation brought him comfort.
He had stolen it from the orphanage he was now living in. Usually, he used it to cut his vegetables.
Today, it would tear through human flesh.
The location he had chosen was a park that he had often played in as a youth.
He remembered his dad pushing him on the swings, as he begged to spend just a few more minutes there.
Oh, how things had changed.
A cold breeze blew across his face, sending a strand of his long blonde hair free so that it fell over his face.
Just as he removed his hand from his pocket to brush it back into place, he heard footsteps coming down the path nearby.
Instantly his heart began to race.
He turned his head towards the one who approached. It was a man going for a late-night jog.
His build was slim, but his strides were long due to his generous height. He wore a white compression shirt, and black shorts, as well as a neck warmer that he used to cover the bottom half of his face from the cold.
Arthur swallowed at a lump in his throat and tightened his grip around the knife.
This is it... I'm finally about to give in.
Any thoughts of changing his mind were washed away by the pain of his headache.
He was tired. Tired of it all.
The runner got closer and closer, slowly making his way towards the bench. In just a few moments, he believed he would pass it, as he had passed so many benches earlier.
Little did he know, this would be the last bench that he ever passed.
Twenty meters... Ten meters...
He was now close enough that Arthur could hear his steady breaths.
His heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest!
Five meters...
Arthur prepared to jump.
Three Meters...
Arthur pulled the knife from his sleeve and lunged forward.
The runner must have not noticed him. After all, he wore all black and was blending in with the darkness of the night.
Instantly, the man's eyes went wide as he tried to deviate from his path and dodge.
But it was to no luck.
Arthur thrust his blade forward in a backhand grip, using all his might.
Being a smaller man meant that he was fast.
However... with speed often came inaccuracy.
He felt his knife bury itself into flesh, which took much more force than he had imagined.
But he missed his target. He had meant to hit the neck and end it all in one go.
But the knife instead entered the man's shoulder with a thud, and the blade broke off from the handle after hitting bone, ending up stuck in his arm.
"AUGH! SHIT!"
The man screamed as he stumbled to the side, his other hand grasping for the wound, which poured with hot, sticky blood.
Arthur cursed to himself. His plan had already gone to shit.
He had to improvise.
The runner tried to jog away, but his vision must have started to turn blurry from the fear and rapid blood loss.
His steps were weak and uncalculated, which meant that Arthur was easily able to catch him, regardless of the man's speed.
Like a rugby player, Arthur tackled the man from behind, wrestling him to the ground with ease.
His hood had fallen off in the conflict, revealing his, young, handsome face to his victim.
The runner struggled onto his back, trying his best to fight off his attacker.
Arthur slammed his fist into the man's nose. He heard the cartilage break, and blood instantly began to flow.
"Stop," Arthur grunted as he fought with the man. "Don't make this any harder for your— AUGH!"
A sharp pain shot through his groin as the man kneed him with all his might, and then threw him to the side.
Arthur clutched at his balls in agony. That pain would last until tomorrow, but there was no time to dwell on it.
His victim had risen to his feet and started limping and stumbling away.
He was escaping.
"Shit. Shit. Shit!"
Arthur pushed through the pain and scrambled across the ground in an attempt to rise to his feet. As he did, his fingers brushed against something jagged, and solid.
It was a rock. A large one.
Perfect.
He hefted the rock in his hand and climbed to his feet. The runner was slowly trying to escape, using the direction of the park lights to guide him.
"Help! Somebody help!"
But there was no one around.
You don't know how long I've had to wait for someone to get here... No one can save you.
Arthur jogged, slowly closing the distance between him and his victim.
Once in range, he threw the large rock with all his might.
It swirled through the air, and then crashed against the back of the man's head with a wet thump.
He stumbled to the ground, and his body went limp in an instant. A pool of blood formed beneath him, as his body started to twitch violently.
In the heat of the moment, Arthur was only focused on one thing.
Making sure that his job was finished.
Wasting no time, he hurried over to the bloody rock and lifted in again.
Then, he kneeled down by the man's body, raising the rock into the air and bringing it down on his head with force.
Squelch
Blood sprayed everywhere.
He lifted the stone again.
Squelch
He had to be certain.
One last time.
Squelch
The man's head exploded into bloody bits.
Out of breath and in pain, Arthur fell to his back and heaved.
He knew this was no time to relax, but he couldn't help it. His body refused to move.
Just a few moments... then I'll head back.
Suddenly, he noticed that his headache slowly started to fade away. It brought him so much relief, that he momentarily forgot about the murder he had just committed.
Following the relief, a strange illusion suddenly filled his mind.
[Serial Killer System initiated]
[Butcher Class Awakened]
[Serial Killer Rank granted]
[1000$ Reward Granted]
[Welcome, Arthur Bright]