LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 1: Chapter 1: Inheritance of the Unknown
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Marcus had never been particularly close to his grandfather. Their interactions were few, fragmented memories of a man who lived too far away, and whose letters were always strange—filled with cryptic messages and warnings. But when he died, Marcus was left with one final, unexpected inheritance: a mansion.
It was a vast, looming structure perched atop a hill, its silhouette casting long shadows over the valley below. Its windows, dark and empty, seemed to watch him as he approached, as if the house were alive—waiting for him.
As Marcus crossed the threshold, the heavy wooden doors creaked open, an eerie sound that echoed through the silent halls. His footfalls were the only noise in the massive foyer as he stepped inside, the air thick with dust and age.
But the mansion was not empty. The house seemed to hum with an energy he couldn't place, a presence just beyond his understanding. As he looked around, Marcus noticed something unsettling: the air was unnaturally cold, the wallpaper peeling in places, and the scent of something distant and musty hung in the air. The place was old, but not abandoned.
And yet, it felt like it had been waiting for him. Like it knew he was coming.
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System Prompt:
Mission: Explore the Mansion.
Objective: Familiarize yourself with the mansion's layout.
Reward: Unknown.
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Marcus shrugged. He didn't have much of a choice. With a deep breath, he began walking through the mansion, tracing the creaky wooden floors with his steps, trying to make sense of the endless hallways and rooms. The house seemed to stretch infinitely, each door leading to another corridor that appeared no different than the last. And yet, there was something off—something beneath the surface.
He stopped in front of a large, ornate mirror at the end of one hallway. As he gazed at his reflection, something caught his eye. The faintest shadow, like a figure standing just behind him.
He spun around, but there was nothing. His heart skipped a beat, but it wasn't the first time in his life he'd felt a chill like that. It was just his imagination, he told himself. It had to be.
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System Prompt:
Mission Updated: Investigate the Shadow.
Objective: Investigate any disturbances or unusual phenomena.
Reward: Unknown.
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Marcus raised an eyebrow. The mansion had systems for everything—he didn't understand it yet, but it seemed to be guiding him. He turned back toward the mirror, scanning it for anything unusual. This time, he caught something that sent a shiver down his spine.
The reflection in the mirror was not his own. A tall, dark figure, completely indistinct, stood behind him, just out of focus. Marcus stared at the mirror for a long time, but the figure never moved. Finally, he stepped away, shaking off the uneasy feeling.
Something was wrong with this place. But it was his now, so he would deal with it, just like everything else in his life.
He continued down the hall, and that's when he saw it—a door at the far end, slightly ajar. A cold draft swept through the air, carrying with it a faint whisper.
A door he hadn't noticed before.
As he approached, the whisper grew louder, turning into an incoherent mumble, then a scream.
But Marcus did not flinch.
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System Prompt:
Side Mission: Enter the Unseen Room.
Objective: Uncover the source of the disturbance.
Reward: Unknown.
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Marcus stood frozen for a moment. It wasn't fear that kept him rooted to the spot. It was curiosity. And a sense of power, something new that he hadn't felt before.
He opened the door.
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The room was dark. The only light came from the dim hallway, casting long shadows across the floor. The walls were lined with bookshelves, their contents covered in dust. The air was thick, suffocating almost.
In the center of the room was a chair, its back facing him. He could feel eyes on him, but the chair didn't move. The atmosphere grew heavier, and as he stepped inside, the door slammed shut behind him with a force that made the house seem to shake.
"Welcome, master," a voice echoed, distorted and faint, as if coming from every direction at once.
Marcus' fingers tightened around the doorknob, but he didn't turn back. The air around him shimmered, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw something flicker—a pale face, long black hair, and dark, hollow eyes. The woman in the chair turned slowly, her gaze piercing into his soul.
"I've been waiting for you," she whispered.
Before Marcus could respond, the figure vanished.
A system prompt appeared, this time more foreboding.
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System Prompt:
Mission: First Tenant.
Objective: Check for first tenant.
Reward: Unknown.
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Marcus exhaled sharply. The mansion had tenants—ghostly ones, perhaps. As unsettling as the experience was, he was no stranger to oddities, having grown up in a home filled with strange occurrences. This... this was different, though. Something about this place felt far more dangerous.
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Marcus spent the following days scouring the mansion, trying to get a sense of its layout and uncover more clues. And then, on a particularly cold evening, he found it—an old wardrobe in a forgotten corner of the mansion's library. Inside was a suit, perfectly tailored to his size.
The fabric was smooth, black as midnight, with a subtle sheen. He could feel a strange pull toward it, like it was meant for him, an extension of his will. As he slipped it on, the house seemed to sigh in relief, or perhaps it was just his mind playing tricks. But as soon as the suit was on, something inside him shifted. Confidence, power, control. He could feel it. And the mansion seemed to recognize it.
The moment he adjusted the collar, he felt a strange energy crackle through him, like the suit had bound him to the house.
As he stood there, the mirror above the old fireplace flickered, and a cane appeared beside him—ordinary-looking, nothing special at first glance, but Marcus knew better. The moment he touched it, the cane pulsed with energy, a subtle hum running through his hand.
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System Prompt:
Item Acquired: Cane of the House.
Description: A cane with supernatural properties. Used to channel power against dark forces.
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Marcus smiled. His transformation was complete. No longer just a boy inheriting a house. He was the master of it.
Days turned into weeks as Marcus grew accustomed to the mansion's strange ways. The house obeyed him now, or at least, he believed it did. And when the system prompted him with missions, he completed them swiftly, earning strange rewards that only deepened his connection to the house.
But tonight, the mansion had a different request.
The doorbell rang.
Marcus didn't hesitate. He knew who it was. The first tenant. The one that had haunted him since that first night. It was time to face her. And this time, he was ready.