In the Antares Empire, three powerful merchant organizations controlled the economy: Golden Cross Trading, Starfall Trading Company, and Silver Veil Company.
Each was strong in its own way, their influence balanced perfectly to stop any one of them from gaining too much power.
Adrian knew that if he was going to rebuild his castle and take back his land, he needed money fast.
The obvious choice was to secure a loan, so he thought about going to one of these powerful merchants. But just as his plan started to form, something surprising happened.
A system status suddenly appeared before his eyes.
[Name: Adrian Obley]
[Current State: Cursed]
[Occupation: Lord]
[Strength: 3]
[Endurance: 4]
[Dexterity: 2]
[Intelligence: 3]
[Traits: Adventurous [Unique], Perfect Vessel [Mythic], Unyielding [Legendary], Strategist [Epic], Resourceful [Rare]
[System Quest:]
Recover Your Body - [Easy]
Rebuild Your Territory - [Hard]
Rewards for completing the quest will vary based on difficulty.
Adrian clicked on the [System Quest] tab and read through the available quests.
The quest to recover his body was marked as "Easy" and could be done right away.
Rebuilding his territory, however, was marked as "Hard." That could wait.
"Cursed, huh?" Adrian thought, checking his status. "At least there's no grade on this curse. It's not strong, but it's enough to weaken those with a weak body."
He sighed, disappointed. The old owner of this body must have been so weak to fall victim to even a small curse. Adrian frowned as he thought about the wasted potential in the body he now controlled.
The previous owner had done nothing with it, but Adrian wouldn't make the same mistake.
"Now that I have control, I'll make sure to get stronger. I'll find out who did this to me and make them regret it," Adrian muttered to himself.
His eyes moved back to the quest. The first thing he needed to deal with was the curse.
There were two ways to get rid of a curse.
The first was to go to a priest and pay for an expensive ritual. That was out of the question for now; he didn't have the money.
The second option was to find a plant known to remove curses. It wasn't as effective, but for a small curse like his, it would work.
"I'll aim for the second option," Adrian decided. "It's not perfect, but it'll get the job done."
The Antares Empire was huge, divided into 14 territories, each ruled by nobles, dukes, counts, or barons. The capital, Antares, was home to the king and the center of political power.
But under the surface, the Empire was split into three factions: the Royalist Faction, the Aristocratic Faction, and the Noble Faction. Of the three, the Royalists were the most powerful, followed closely by the Aristocrats, while the Nobles were the weakest.
Adrian's territory, Greenfield, was under the control of the Noble Faction. Despite its name, Greenfield was barren, filled with crime and poverty.
But there was one place in Greenfield where hope still remained. Deep within Greenfield's mountains, there was a rare plant known for its ability to remove curses. It was Adrian's only lead, and he knew he had no choice but to go after it.
With confidence, Adrian turned to his servant, Tobin. "We're going to Greenfield Mountains. Pack your things. It's time to deal with this curse."