Chapter - 3.

It's been a long time since I heard that name.

Looking around, I see a woman with long white hair reaching her knees.

And then, she utters words that shock me to the core.

"...So, to recap, it was a mistake by our person in charge. It should have been 18-year-old Alex who died, not you. I apologise for the confusion."

"Oh, so originally, I wasn't meant to die, but it ended up happening?"

"Yes, that's correct. Due to our mistake, you, the same person, were reincarnated instead."

My thoughts were in disarray, and I couldn't grasp if this was all just a dream. 

Before falling asleep, I had been contemplating the strange statue, and now I couldn't distinguish reality from illusion.

Wait, the appearance of the statue... It resembled the woman in front of me. Could it be because of that statue?

"Yes, it's similar. You contacted the statue, which allowed me to communicate with you."

Surprised that she could answer my unspoken questions, I listened to her explanation.

"This accident was a death meant for your 'previous life,' as you've already experienced. Originally, 18-year-old Alex from this city was meant to die in the accident, reincarnate in your world, and become a 'hero' to save the world by preventing the resurrection of the demon king."

"However?"

"Due to our mistake, you were the one who reincarnated instead. This delayed the proper explanations and actions, resulting in abilities being granted to you automatically."

"So, I have some special past life?"

"Yes, indeed. Usually, the warrior would grant you abilities to deal with the demon king, but since you weren't originally meant to be reincarnated, our actions were delayed. As a result, you were granted abilities through the medium of your wish before you died."

This revelation left me bewildered.

"...So, what ability did I receive?"

"You have the [Financial Luck] ability, and it's at the Max level."

I couldn't believe it. Was this really the power I desired so much? Did I even want it in the first place? I couldn't recall.

"...Wait, how do you deal with the Demon King using money luck?"

"Originally, one of the buffs given at the time of reincarnation has the power to block the resurrection of the demon king. However, since you didn't receive that buff, the demon lord has already been resurrected. Now, you must save the world from the demon king as the hero, Kael."

"But... my ability is just money luck, right?"

"Hero Kael, now you are the only hope."

"Shouldn't you at least give me swordsmanship or some kind of powerful skill?"

"Demons created by the demon king will soon attack the village where you are. Please be careful."

Before I could finish my questioning, the world suddenly turned white. When I regained my senses, I was back at Mark's house, holding the shattered statue.

What was going on? Was this all a dream or something else entirely?

Suddenly, there was commotion outside.

"Everyone run away!! The monsters!! The monsters are coming!!!!"

I opened the door to my room and saw a horde of monsters, resembling wolves with long white fur, approaching.

"Heh..."

A laugh escaped my lips, but I had to snap out of it. How could I face something like this? I needed to say something that made sense. Haha.

"Are you out of your mind!? Go outside and run!"

Max shouted at me, tying up his granddaughter and then rushing out to join the others gathered in the centre of the village.

I followed him, and there I saw some villagers with bows and spears, but their weapons seemed quite rudimentary, making it hard to expect significant results.

Children were in tears, and some elderly people pointed at me, blaming me for bringing bad luck upon them.

The peddlers' escorts stood with their arms raised, ready to defend their employers first. It seemed that annihilation was imminent if we didn't act quickly.

In the distance, the sound of galloping horses grew louder. It was the people from the baron family, who had initially taken advantage of my family and later led the charge against them.

Getting caught by them would mean being dragged back to a life as a tool, just like before. The monster and demon king were not the problem now. My focus was on escaping from these pursuers.

Hiding among the villagers, I observed the baron's men as they panicked upon seeing the swarm of monsters. Eventually, they formed formations and prepared to confront the creatures.

Alright, I can leave the rest to them.

Unaware that Mark was watching me, I took the opportunity to plan my escape.