Chapter 114: Inheritance

The haze before Su Cheng’s eyes gradually dissipated as the night deepened. When he regained his senses, he found himself standing outside a gloomy, eerie ancient castle.

The second horror story had begun.

"This horror story must be taking place within this castle. But what character am I playing? Why wasn't there a single hint?" Su Cheng’s gaze lowered. In his perception, the black castle before him felt like a dormant beast, radiating a chilling and terrifying aura.

After calming down, he did not immediately enter the castle, choosing instead to observe his surroundings. The castle appeared to be built deep in the mountains. Everything around him was pitch black, with only the shadowy outlines of trees and the wind that sounded like ghostly wailing visible.

At that moment, a low, raspy, ghostly voice echoed in his mind.

"Enter the castle as Makoto Kobayashi and trigger the plot."

It seemed that the system only provided a prompt once he had lingered outside for too long, urging him to enter and initiate the story. However, Su Cheng hadn't come away empty-handed; at least he now knew he was playing a man named Makoto Kobayashi.

As for who this person actually was, he had no clue.

"Following the tropes of horror movies or novels, the plot usually involves a traveler lost in the deep mountains who accidentally discovers the castle. Starving and freezing, they enter to seek shelter, only to encounter murders or ghosts."

Before stepping into the castle, Su Cheng prepared a plausible excuse and began to walk toward the structure.

As he approached, the castle gates slowly creaked open. An elderly man, dressed like a butler with his hair meticulously combed, walked out.

Just as Su Cheng was about to speak, the old butler bowed slightly, as if he already knew him. "Young Master Makoto, the other young masters and ladies have already arrived. The Master’s will is about to be read. Please, follow me."

Hearing this, Su Cheng calmly swallowed the words he had been about to utter and followed the old butler into the castle.

The plot of this horror story seemed somewhat different from what he had anticipated; it was better to wait and see how things developed.

About five minutes later, Su Cheng and the butler passed through the main doors and arrived in a living room decorated in a European style.

The living room on the first floor was approximately 170 square meters, with marble floors and a massive crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The decor was extraordinarily luxurious, screaming "wealthy, very wealthy, extremely wealthy" at every turn.

He noticed that the tables and cabinets were adorned with seemingly priceless antiques; it appeared the owner of this castle was a collector.

As Su Cheng followed the butler into the room, several hostile gazes immediately fixed upon him.

Sitting at a long solid-wood table were five strangers: three men and two women. Opposite them stood a female lawyer wearing glasses, dressed in professional attire with makeup so flawless it was impossible to guess her true age.

Sensing their hostility, Su Cheng immediately deduced that they, like him, were here to hear the reading of the castle owner's will.

"Attorney Yuri, everyone is here. Can we read the will now?" a young man with dyed yellow hair and a delinquent air asked impatiently, a glint of greed flashing in his eyes as he looked at the lawyer.

"The old man died at just the right time. My company has been having some financial trouble lately; with this inheritance, I can finally get through this crisis," added a sharp-featured woman sitting next to the yellow-haired youth, puffing on a cigarette without a care.

"Ms. Shizuko, please show some respect for the Master, or your right of inheritance will be revoked," the old butler said, his eyes turning cold and his tone indifferent.

"Fine, fine, my mistake. Now, hurry up and read the will. I’m planning to head back before dawn," the sharp-featured woman replied, her expression shifting. Her company was on the verge of bankruptcy due to a broken capital chain, and she was counting on this inheritance to fill the void.

"Everyone, let's keep it down and let Attorney Yuri read the will."

Su Cheng sat quietly, observing the people in the room. Sitting to his left was a slightly plump middle-aged man who had been eating ever since he sat down, perhaps because he hadn't had dinner before arriving.

Next to him was a man with an elite, British-style appearance; his clothes were exquisite and expensive, suggesting a privileged background. The last heir was a blonde girl who looked to be in her early twenties, dressed in stylish designer clothes that made her quite eye-catching.

"Three days ago, Mr. Shirakawa passed away from cancer. Before his death, he left a will stipulating that one of you would inherit his estate."

The lawyer glanced at her watch and briefly introduced the life of the castle's owner.

Mr. Shirakawa was a well-known tycoon and collector. He had spent most of his life and fortune bidding on countless antique treasures from around the world, all housed within this castle.

Following his recent passing, and because he had no children, he had left a will bequeathing the castle and its priceless contents to six distant relatives, including Su Cheng, who shared his bloodline.

"Wait a minute, what do you mean by that? Shouldn't all six of us inherit the old man's estate?" Shizuko Shirakawa burst out upon hearing the lawyer. She was a direct relative of the owner and, by bloodline, should have been entitled to the largest share. But from the lawyer's tone, it seemed only one person would inherit everything.

What was going on?

"In fact, you are all merely candidates. Only one person will ultimately receive Mr. Shirakawa's inheritance," the lawyer said, her expression cold and unfeeling, like a cold-blooded professional assassin.

"What?"

The heirs in the room were stunned. They had traveled thousands of miles to this desolate, eerie castle to claim their inheritance, only to be told that only one person would receive it, while the others wouldn't get a single cent.

Are you kidding me!

Compared to the others, Su Cheng remained remarkably calm.

This was a world within a horror story; his identity was temporary. Even if he succeeded in obtaining the inheritance, he wouldn't be able to take it back to the real world.

"Please, everyone, stay calm. Mr. Shirakawa has already made arrangements regarding the final inheritance rights."

With that, the lawyer took a letter from her file and recited its contents.

"According to Mr. Shirakawa’s final wishes, I will act as the judge for a game we shall play here." The lawyer swept her gaze over their faces before continuing, "The winner of this game will inherit Mr. Shirakawa’s estate."

"A game? Has the old man lost his mind? I don't have time to play games," Shizuko Shirakawa yelled, looking agitated. There was only one winner, meaning only one person would get the inheritance. Statistically, she only had a one-in-six chance.

"If you do not wish to participate, you may leave now. However, you will have no claim to this inheritance," Attorney Yuri said coldly.

Shizuko’s face turned pale, and she snorted, falling silent.

"Interesting. Attorney, could you explain the rules of this game in more detail?" the elite-looking man asked, a gentlemanly smile on his lips as he showed signs of genuine interest.

"The rules are simple. Between midnight on November 6th and dawn, you must use your own judgment to identify the most valuable antique among Mr. Shirakawa’s collection. Whoever succeeds will win the game."

Hearing the rules, a pensive look crossed Su Cheng’s eyes.

"So, it’s a treasure hunt?"

The elite man pondered for a moment before asking skeptically, "What if none of us find the most valuable antique?"

His concern was not without merit. Mr. Shirakawa had spent his life collecting antiques, and there were countless treasures. Of course, not all of them were authentic; a large portion were replicas.

Finding the most valuable piece among so many was undoubtedly like finding a needle in a haystack.

"According to the rules, each heir may select one antique from the collection. The final result will be judged based on the value of the items you choose. Whoever selects the most valuable item wins."

"As for the losers, they may leave with the antique they selected."

I see.

As the judge, Attorney Yuri must have inventoried Mr. Shirakawa’s collection and appraised them beforehand. Her judgment would be fair.

However, Su Cheng knew this game would certainly not be that simple.

"At least we can take one antique if we lose; it won't be a wasted trip," the greasy middle-aged man said, rubbing his round belly, looking quite relaxed.

Among them, the elite man was the only one who seemed to know anything about antiques, giving him the greatest advantage in this game.

The midnight bell had yet to toll, and everyone remained in the living room, waiting for the game to begin.

Su Cheng noticed the elite man sitting alone on the sofa in deep thought, likely strategizing. Shizuko Shirakawa kept smoking, appearing incredibly agitated.

The yellow-haired youth opened a bottle of red wine and tried to strike up a conversation with the beautiful lawyer, only to be driven back by her murderous glare.

"Is this mirror also one of Mr. Shirakawa’s collectibles?" Su Cheng walked over to a dark mirror in the living room and asked the butler standing nearby.

The mirror was a classical round piece with a frame made of expensive, dark, aged wood, carved with terrifying ghostly figures.

"Yes, the Master bought this mirror from a European auction house over a decade ago. It has been kept in this living room for a very long time."

Su Cheng nodded, staring into the ancient mirror.

At that moment, the reflection of "Su Cheng" in the mirror slightly curled its lips, revealing a dark and sinister smile.