Chapter 2: The Heir's First Trial
1055 Words
Chapter 2: The Heir's First Trial
Rain hammered the concrete beneath the bridge as Ethan Carter stood frozen, surrounded by black SUVs.
Their headlights cut through the darkness, turning the falling rain into shimmering silver streaks.
More than twenty armed men aimed their weapons at him.
His heartbeat thundered in his ears.
The glowing blue screen hovered before his eyes.
Emergency Mission
Objective: Survive.
Reward: Continue Living.
Ethan swallowed hard.
"I must be dreaming..."
A deep voice interrupted his thoughts.
"So, you're the one."
The crowd of armed men parted, making way for a tall man in an expensive charcoal suit. He looked to be in his early forties, with neatly combed black hair streaked with gray. His expression was calm, but his cold eyes carried the weight of countless deaths.
He stopped a few meters from Ethan.
"My name is Victor Romano."
Ethan's eyes widened.
"Romano?"
"The younger brother of Don Alessandro Romano," Victor replied. "The man you watched die tonight."
Ethan instinctively stepped back.
"I-I didn't kill him."
Victor smiled faintly.
"I know."
"Then why are you pointing guns at me?"
"Because my brother gave you something that belongs to our family."
Victor extended his hand.
"The inheritance."
"Hand it over."
Ethan hesitated.
"I don't have anything."
A lie.
The strange ring had already dissolved into his body.
Victor studied him for a long moment before sighing.
"So... he really chose you."
The atmosphere became unbearably tense.
One of Victor's men leaned closer and whispered, "Boss, let's kill him now."
Victor raised a hand.
"No."
His eyes never left Ethan.
"My brother was many things. Ruthless. Brilliant. Merciless."
"But he never made meaningless decisions."
"If he chose this boy..."
"There must be a reason."
Another notification flashed before Ethan.
Main Mission Updated
Convince the Romano Syndicate that you are the chosen successor.
Time Remaining: 71 Hours 42 Minutes
Reward: Authority +10
Ethan nearly groaned aloud.
"How am I supposed to convince actual gangsters?"
Victor suddenly spoke again.
"Tell me."
"What exactly did my brother leave you?"
Ethan hesitated.
Should he tell the truth?
Before he could answer—
Gunfire erupted from the rooftops.
BANG!
One of Victor's bodyguards collapsed instantly.
"Snipers!"
"Take cover!"
Chaos exploded beneath the bridge.
Bullets rained from above.
Victor's men fired back while scrambling behind the SUVs.
Ethan dove behind a concrete pillar just as a bullet shattered the ground where he had been standing.
"What is happening?!"
The System responded.
New Side Mission
Protect Victor Romano.
Reward: Beginner Combat Skill
Failure: Mission Cancelled.
Ethan stared at the message in disbelief.
"Protect him?"
"He has ten bodyguards!"
As if to mock him, another sniper's bullet pierced Victor's shoulder.
Victor stumbled.
Several gunmen rushed forward from both ends of the bridge.
They weren't after Ethan.
They were here to finish the Romano family.
A black van screeched to a stop.
Masked assassins poured out carrying assault rifles.
"The Romano bloodline ends tonight!"
Victor's men answered with heavy gunfire.
The bridge became a battlefield.
Explosions echoed as bullets flew off the concrete pillars.
Smoke filled the air.
Ethan's breathing quickened.
"I'm just a delivery rider!"
The System chimed again.
Temporary Skill Granted
Basic Combat Instinct (Five Minutes).
Warm energy surged through Ethan's body.
Suddenly...
Everything became strangely clear.
The sounds of gunfire slowed.
His eyes instinctively tracked every movement around him.
Without thinking, he noticed an abandoned pistol lying beside a fallen bodyguard.
His body moved on its own.
He rolled across the wet pavement.
Grabbed the weapon.
And fired.
Bang!
One masked attacker fell.
Ethan froze.
"I actually hit him?"
Another enemy charged toward Victor.
Bang!
Another shot.
Another hit.
Victor turned in shock.
The frightened delivery rider from moments ago now moved with uncanny precision.
Even Ethan couldn't believe it.
"This... isn't me."
It was the System.
The temporary skill guided every movement.
Within minutes, several attackers were down.
The remaining assassins realized something had changed.
"Retreat!"
Their vehicles sped away into the rain.
Silence slowly returned beneath the bridge.
Only the sound of rainfall remained.
Victor stared at Ethan for several seconds.
Finally...
He laughed.
A genuine laugh.
"My brother truly had remarkable judgment."
The surviving bodyguards lowered their weapons.
One of them frowned.
"But Boss..."
"He's still an outsider."
Victor nodded.
"True."
He walked toward Ethan.
"You've just saved my life."
"I owe you."
Ethan quickly handed him the pistol.
"I wasn't trying to save anyone."
"I was trying not to die."
Victor smiled.
"Fair enough."
His expression then became serious.
"The men who attacked us belong to the Black Serpent Organization."
"They've wanted control of this city for years."
"They murdered my brother."
"And now..."
"They'll hunt you."
Ethan felt his stomach sink.
"Me?"
Victor nodded.
"The moment Alessandro chose you..."
"You became their target."
Another blue screen appeared.
Mission Progress
Victor Romano's Trust Increased.
Current Trust: 18%
Authority Increased.
Current Authority: 10
Victor looked Ethan directly in the eyes.
"I don't know why my brother chose you."
"I don't know what he saw."
"But if the Black Serpents want you dead..."
"Then keeping you alive may be our only chance."
He extended his hand.
"Come with me."
Ethan looked at the waiting SUVs.
Then at the dark city beyond the bridge.
If he refused...
Those assassins would keep hunting him.
If he accepted...
He would step into the heart of the underworld.
The System answered before he could decide.
Main Mission
Enter Romano Headquarters.
Reward: Unlock Beginner Gift Pack.
Failure: Death.
Ethan sighed deeply.
"I really don't like that word."
Victor raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"Nothing."
After a long moment, Ethan shook Victor's hand.
"I'll come."
Victor nodded once.
"Good."
As the convoy drove through the sleeping city, Ethan stared out the rain-covered window.
His ordinary life had ended in a single night.
Ahead of him waited a mansion filled with dangerous criminals, hidden enemies, and impossible expectations.
He had no combat training.
No leadership experience.
No idea why Don Alessandro Romano had chosen him.
But one thing had become painfully clear.
There was no going back.
Somewhere in the darkness, the mysterious Mafia Boss System pulsed quietly inside him.
Preparing him for a future he had never imagined.
A future where he would either become the greatest mafia boss the city had ever seen...
Or die before the sun rose on another ordinary day.
- Writer
