The GBP/JPY chart spiked another 200 pips.
I stared at my laptop screen, bloodshot eyes tracking the candlesticks as they climbed. 3:47 AM. My fifth energy drink sat empty beside three others, a graveyard of poor life choices surrounding my trading setup.
"Come on," I muttered, watching my demo account hit new highs. Fifty thousand dollars in paper profits. If only it were real money. If only I had the capital to—
My chest tightened.
Not now. Not again.
I reached for my phone, but my left arm wouldn't move. The tightness became crushing pressure, like someone had wrapped my ribs in steel bands and was twisting them tighter, tighter, tighter—
The chart blurred. Red and green candles melted together.
My last thought as I slumped forward was absurdly practical: At least I didn't blow my real account.
Then nothing.
Thump.
A heartbeat. Mine?
Thump.
Sensation returned in waves. Softness beneath me. Silk sheets? The chemical smell of my apartment was gone, replaced by something cleaner. Lavender and old wood.
Thump.
I opened my eyes.
Stone ceiling. Wooden beams crossed overhead, carved with designs I didn't recognize. Not my apartment. Not a hospital.
I sat up, and the world tilted sideways.
My hands were small. Child-sized. The arms extending from expensive silk pajamas were thin, unmarked by the laptop burn scars I'd accumulated from years of late-night trading.
"What the hell—"
The voice that came out was high-pitched. Young.
I scrambled out of bed—too large, too ornate—and found a mirror on the far wall. The face staring back at me was maybe twelve years old. Blond hair, sharp blue eyes, aristocratic features that looked nothing like my original Asian-American self.
"Okay," I said slowly. "Either I'm dead, dreaming, or I've completely lost my mind."
[SYSTEM INITIALIZING...]
The words appeared in glowing blue text, floating in the air in front of me.
I stumbled backward, hit the bed, and sat down hard.
[WELCOME, ADRIAN VALTOR]
[MERCHANT SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
[ANALYZING HOST MEMORIES...]
[ANALYSIS COMPLETE]
[PREVIOUS WORLD: EARTH]
[TRADING EXPERIENCE: 4 YEARS]
[SPECIALIZATION: FOREX, STOCKS, COMMODITIES]
[CURRENT WORLD: ASTERIA]
[LOCATION: KINGDOM OF VALORIA]
[HOST STATUS: THIRD SON OF COUNT VALTOR]
The screen expanded, showing what looked like a video game interface. Stats, skills, even a minimap in the corner. But the center panel made my trader's instincts fire:
[MERCHANT SYSTEM - LEVEL 1]
[BALANCE: 0 GOLD]
[AVAILABLE MARKETS: LOCKED]
[SYSTEM SHOP: LOCKED]
[UNLOCK REQUIREMENTS: COMPLETE FIRST TRADE]
Below that, a flashing notification:
[BREAKING NEWS: WAR DECLARED]
[KINGDOM OF VALORIA VS. DRAKEN EMPIRE]
[MARKETS OPENING IN: 23:47:33]
I stared at the countdown timer, and despite the insanity of my situation, something familiar stirred in my chest.
War meant volatility.
Volatility meant opportunity.
The door burst open. A girl maybe sixteen years old rushed in, her long black hair disheveled, her green eyes wide with panic. She wore a nightgown and looked like she'd run here.
"Adrian! Thank the gods you're awake!" She grabbed my shoulders, checking me over. "When you collapsed at dinner, Father thought—we all thought—"
Collapsed at dinner. Right. These weren't my memories, but I could feel them now, floating at the edge of my consciousness. This body's memories. Adrian Valtor had been sickly, weak. He'd collapsed during the evening meal when news of the war arrived.
And then I'd taken over.
"I'm fine, Elise," I said, the name coming automatically. My older sister. "Just... shocked by the news."
She bit her lip, and I saw fear in her eyes. "Father is meeting with the other lords now. They say the Draken Empire has already crossed the eastern border. Their army is three times our size."
"Our finances?"
The question came out instinctively. Elise blinked, surprised. The old Adrian had never cared about money.
"We're... managing," she said carefully. "Father has been selling assets to fund the war effort. But—"
A horn blew in the distance. Deep, resonant, urgent.
Elise's face went pale. "That's the war horn. All nobles are being summoned to the great hall."
She hurried out, but paused at the door. "Get dressed quickly. Father will expect you."
The door closed, and I was alone with my glowing system screen.
[FIRST QUEST AVAILABLE]
[QUEST: ATTEND THE WAR COUNCIL]
[REWARD: MARKET ACCESS UNLOCKED]
[TIME LIMIT: 30 MINUTES]
I looked at my small hands, felt the unfamiliar weight of this young body, and made a decision.
I didn't know why I was here. Didn't know if this was real or some dying dream.
But I knew one thing: if this world had markets, I could trade them.
And if there was a war coming?
Then it was time to make a fortune.