《Logging Out... Into a New World》


 The End... Or The Beginning?

    "Hu Seungwoo¡­ I''m sorry to say this, but your time is running out." The doctor''s voice was calm but filled with sadness.


    Hu Seungwoo sat quietly. He had known this day would come, but hearing it made it real.


    "You should spend your remaining time doing what makes you happy," the doctor said gently.


    Seungwoo nodded. There was only one thing that had ever truly brought him joy, Grow Castle.


    It wasn''t a very popular game, nor was it groundbreaking. But to him, it was special. A strategy game where players defended against waves of monsters while growing their land. It was a lot of work, but fair. Challenging, but rewarding.


    More than that, it had a small but devoted community, a place where Seungwoo did well. He was a daily member, a top helper, always eager to assist others with strategies and advice.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Now, as his time ran out, he wanted to leave one last message.


    [Post: My Experience with Grow Castle & This Community]


    Hi everyone,


    I wanted to share my thoughts on Grow Castle and this great community before I go.


    As some of you know, I''ve been fighting cancer. Sadly, my time is almost up. But before I leave, I want to thank this game and all of you.


    Grow Castle wasn''t just a game to me. It was my escape. Despite its small group of players, it had a unique charm that kept me coming back. The work never felt forced, the strategy always made me think, and every upgrade, every win, felt earned.


    Most of all, I loved being part of this community, helping others, sharing strategies, and learning with all of you. It gave me a sense of purpose, something to hold onto even as my body weakened.


    If I had another chance at life, I''d take it, not for money or fame, but just to know what it''s like to live in a healthy body.


    Thank you all for being part of my journey. It''s time for me to say goodbye.


    Take care, everyone.


    ¡ª Hu Seungwoo

 A New Game Begins

    Just after Hu Seungwoo finished writing his farewell message, a strange notification popped up on his computer screen.


    [Start Over: Yes or Yes]


    He frowned. There was no option to decline.


    "Start over? What kind of bug is this?" he muttered, confused.


    Thinking it was just a glitch, he decided to ignore it, until a sharp pain surged through his body. He coughed violently, and when he looked down, his hands were covered in blood. His vision blurred, his strength faded, and a chilling coldness spread through him.


    "Is this what dying feels like? It''s... so cold."


    As darkness took over, a sudden warmth surrounded him. His senses slowly returned, and when he opened his eyes, he found himself lying on a hard surface, sunlight filtering through broken windows. A worn ceiling hung above him, unfamiliar but somehow comforting.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Then, a worried voice called out.


    "My Lord, you''ve finally woken up!"


    Still disoriented, Seungwoo sat up and looked at the servant, a man in torn yet noble looking clothes, his face full of both relief and worry.


    "Who... am I?" Seungwoo murmured, still confused. "Where is this place? And what year is it?"


    The man quickly answered, "My Lord, you are Adrian, the ruler of this castle, located in the Antares Empire on the Luthen Continent. The current year is 1024, January 13."


    Seungwoo''s thoughts scrambled. Antares Empire? Luthen Continent? Why do those names sound so familiar?


    Then, like pieces of a puzzle coming together, it hit him.


    He remembered the strange prompt before his death. [Start Over: Yes or Yes]. He had ignored it at the time, but when his body collapsed onto his desk, he must have accidentally clicked "Yes" just before he died.


    Standing up to his feets carefully, he caught a peek of himself in a dusty, cracked mirror.


    Staring back at him was a young man with sharp black eyes, jet-black hair, and a face that was undeniably handsome.


    A slow smile spread across his lips.


    "I... I really got another chance."


    His wish had come true.

 A Forgotten Lord

    Adrian, formerly Hu Suengwoo, blinked as he took in his surroundings. The worn down castle, the tattered banners, and the lone servant standing before him. He turned to the man and asked cautiously,


    "Who... are you?"


    The servant''s eyes widened in shock before a hint of pain crossed his face.


    "My Lord, my name is Tobin," he said, his voice filled with concern.


    "Surely, you haven''t forgotten me?"


    Realizing his mistake, Adrian quickly calmed down.


    "Oh, no, no! Of course not," he said, forcing a smile. "I''ve just been feeling a little... off. Headache, you know?"


    Tobin let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness, my Lord. I was starting to worry."Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    "Adrian took a moment to look around. The castle was in bad shape, with crumbling walls, broken furniture, and an odd silence that showed this place had seen better days. He frowned."


    "Tobin¡­ why is our castle like this? What happened?"


    Tobin hesitated before answering. "My Lord, don''t you remember? We were abandoned by the Empire. They left us with nothing."


    "So, basically exiled," Adrian thought, rubbing his temples.


    "That doesn''t matter," he said, pushing the thought away. "What''s the current state of our land?"


    Tobin''s face grew serious. "My Lord, to be honest¡­ it''s the worst it has ever been. And since you fell unconscious, things have only gotten worse."


    Adrian frowned. "How long was I unconscious?"


    "Two weeks, my Lord."


    Adrian''s eyes widened slightly. Two weeks? That was long enough for everything to get worse.


    "Thankfully, your body didn''t weaken too much," Tobin continued, sounding relieved.


    "The only noticeable change is that you''ve gotten thinner, my Lord."


    Adrian barely heard him. His mind was racing.


    "Two weeks unconscious¡­ could it have been poison? Or a curse?"


    It was the only explanation that made sense. If this was truly a fantasy world, then sickness wasn''t the only danger.


    Adrian clenched his fists.


    No matter what had happened to the previous owner of this body, he was in charge now. And he wasn''t going to let this castle, his new home, fall any further.

 Rising From The Ruins

    Adrian looked at his servant and asked,


    "Tobin, tell me what really happened while I was unconscious."


    Tobin hesitated for a moment, then sighed.


    "My Lord, while you were unconscious, the Abyss Wave hit. I couldn''t leave you helpless, so I used my savings to bring us to a fortress called Steelhold. We stayed there for a week¡­ but when the Abyss Wave ended, we were kicked out."


    The Abyss Wave was a dangerous event that happened every month. Monsters came from the abyss and destroyed everything in their path. These creatures didn''t care what they destroyed, living or not. If his castle had been left unprotected, it would have been destroyed too.


    "So that''s what happened to my castle, huh?" Adrian thought, his face growing serious.


    Tobin lowered his head.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. "My Lord, I''m sorry¡­ I couldn''t rebuild the castle. We didn''t have the money without any support."


    Adrian shook his head.


    "It''s fine, Tobin. I''ll find a way."


    He looked at Tobin, the only servant who had stayed with him through everything.


    "Loyalty is rare," Adrian thought. "Anyone can hire servants, but a truly loyal one is priceless. Someone who stays with you when everything falls apart is worth keeping."


    His mind raced. What should I do now?


    Their ruined castle was in Luthen, the biggest of the three continents: Luthen, Zorin, and Veyra.


    In Luthen, four major nations ruled the land:


    The Antares Empire ¨C The strongest, with an unmatched military.


    The Kingdom of Zhentaris ¨C The second-strongest, close to Antares in military strength.


    The Eldorian Kingdom ¨C A leading economic power with a solid defense.


    The Antares-Zhentaris Confederacy ¨C A neutral state created to stop a war between Antares and Zhentaris.


    With his castle in ruins and his name forgotten, Adrian knew one thing for sure: if he wanted to survive, he had to rebuild everything from the ground up.

 The Road To Redemption

    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]


    Adrian clicked on the [System Quest] tab and read through the available quests.


    [System Quest:]


    Recover Your Body - [Easy]


    Rebuild Your Territory - [Hard]


    Rewards for completing the quest will vary based on difficulty.


    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.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    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."

 The Road To Redemption 2

    "My lord, are you sure about this?" Tobin asked, his voice filled with concern.


    "The Greenfield Mountains might have a few monsters, but it''s still dangerous. That''s not the only danger, my lord," Tobin continued, expressing his concern.


    "What if we run into bandits?" Tobin added, worried.


    "Do you even have a plan for how we''ll get there or what we need to take?" Tobin asked, his worry growing.


    Adrian sighed. "You worry too much."


    "It''s my job to worry about you, my lord, as your servant," Tobin replied seriously.


    "Also, my lord, you''ve changed. You used to be timid, weak, and never stood up for yourself. What happened?" Tobin asked, curiosity replacing his concern.


    Adrian stopped, thinking about the memories of the body he now had.


    "Was I really like that?" Adrian thought, remembering the past owner.


    "So the previous owner was like that... It makes sense why things went badly," Adrian silently thought.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Well, maybe it''s because I was unconscious," Adrian said, trying to explain the change.


    "I didn''t realize I was like that. It felt like I forgot something when I woke up," Adrian said out loud.


    "It''s okay, my lord. Seeing you with this new confidence and those adventurous eyes, it''s better this way," Tobin said with a smile.


    "At least you''re happy," Tobin added, relieved.


    "Let''s put that aside for now. I want us to go to the Greenfield Mountains together. There''s a plant called ''Sun Petal'' there, rumored to remove curses" Adrian explained.


    Sun Petal, a flower that removes low level and ungraded curses. It can be eaten raw or refined for double the effect.


    "That''s exactly why I need it now", Adrian thought to himself.


    "My lord, where did you hear that? I''ve never heard of it," Tobin asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "I heard it at the Royal Banquet. Of course, you wouldn''t know," Adrian said casually.


    The Royal Banquet was an event where nobles, dukes, and kings gathered to build relationships and form alliances.


    "Ah, I see," Tobin said, nodding. "Servants and those with lower ranks can''t go, except for a few rare cases."


    What Tobin didn''t know was that Adrian had learned about it from his own experience in the game.


    "So, what''s the plan, my lord?" Tobin asked, eager to know.


    "We''ll take the necessities," Adrian replied.


    "Two coats in case of rain, food, and water," Adrian stated.


    "But, my lord, we don''t have enough money to buy that stuff," Tobin said, his voice unsure.


    "Wait. I''ll open my safe so we can get the money," Adrian said, remembering what he knew from the game.


    In the game, every noble, duke, and count had a safe for emergencies.


    "My lord, are you sure this plan is worth it?" Tobin asked, still unsure.


    "I know what you''re thinking, Tobin," Adrian said firmly. "Trust me, it will be worth it."

 The Road To Redemption 3

    As Adrian and his servant Tobin prepared to leave, Adrian frowned as he looked at the village below. His land was full of poverty and crime.


    He tightened his fist and said, "One day, I will make this land a paradise where everyone is equal."


    Despite his resolve, sadness filled his eyes as they headed toward Greenfield Mountain. Tobin, aware of his master''s thoughts, tried to reassure him.


    "My Lord, I know you''re frustrated, but we don''t have the means to improve our land yet."


    Adrian''s gaze hardened. "Once this curse is gone, I will change everything. I swear!"


    Tobin smiled. His lord had never been this considerate, but since waking up from his coma, he seemed different and more mature.


    Greenfield Mountain


    "My Lord, we arrived sooner than expected," Tobin noted.


    Adrian nodded. "Tobin, we need the Sun Petal. It''s a bright yellow flower that looks just like the sun."


    "Understood, my Lord."


    "Let''s split up to find it," Adrian said.Stolen story; please report.


    Tobin hesitated. "Are you sure you''ll be fine alone? This forest is dangerous."


    Adrian smirked. "I''ll be fine."


    As Tobin left, Adrian already knew where the plant was, he had memorized the map. Just three steps ahead, behind a large tree with thick bushes, the Sun Petal was hidden underneath.


    He walked over, pulled the flower, and a system prompt appeared:


    [Store in Inventory? Yes / No]


    Adrian selected "Yes," making sure it wouldn''t be lost.


    Meanwhile, Tobin searched for the Sun Petal. Despite knowing its description the lord had told him, he couldn''t find it.


    He sighed. "I''ve never seen a plant like this. If it exists, it must be rare and expensive."


    As the sun set, Tobin decided to continue tomorrow. When he returned, he saw Adrian looked satisfied.


    "My Lord, did you find it?"


    Adrian grinned. "Yes. Look."


    He pulled the flower from his clothes, revealing its golden petals. Tobin''s eyes widened.


    "My Lord, how will this remove your curse?"


    Adrian shrugged. "I heard at the Royal Banquet that you can eat it directly or refine it for better effect."


    Without hesitation, he took a bite.


    "Ugh! It''s bitter!" Adrian frowned.


    A system notification then appeared


    [System Quest: Recover Your Body - Complete]


    Choose one of the following rewards:


    +1 to all attributes


    +10 gold


    +Composure [Passive Skill]


    Adrian thought. The attribute boost would make all his stats increase by 1 point, making him stronger.


    The gold could help rebuild his land. 1 gold was equivalent to 1,000 silver, and 1 silver was equivalent to 1,000 copper. Ten gold was 10 million copper, enough to feed a whole town for a year.


    But the last option, Composure, stood out. A passive skill that could help him stay calm in any situation was valuable in the long run


    "This is the best choice," Adrian decided, selecting Composure over the others. He could always get money later.


    With his choice made, he turned to Tobin and said. "Let''s go."


    "Yes, my Lord," Tobin replied, following closely.