Am I dead? I wondered, scanning the area around me.
All I could see was darkness—an endless void with no light in sight. As I wandered aimlessly, I realized how oppressively quiet it was. I kept walking, unsure how much time had passed or if time even existed here.
"Is this what it feels like after death? I'm scared... I'm scared. Someone, please—I'm scared! Dad, where are you? Ryan? Lia? I don't want to be here!"I murmured and shouted over and over, my voice rising and falling like a madman's. The more I yelled, the more I lost my grip on reality—driven mad by the silence that swallowed every sound.
Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder from behind.
Startled, I turned and saw four human-like figures, their forms cloaked in radiant light.Are they... angels? Am I going to hell? The thought stabbed through me as memories of my final moments surged up—reminders of my mistakes and the one I lost.
"Who are you? Where am I? Am I... dead?" I asked, my voice trembling.
"This is the realm of departed souls. Yes, you have passed on," one of the radiant beings replied.
My heart sank at the confirmation. A wave of longing hit me—longing for those I had loved, for the things I could no longer fix. I gritted my teeth, trying to suppress the emotion welling up inside me.
"As for who we are," the figure continued, "we are beings who have ascended to divinity in another world. In that world, we are revered as gods. We are here to offer you a choice: reincarnation into our world. Will you accept it?"
Wait—I'm not going to hell?I blinked, wondering if I had heard them wrong. This place was awful, and the offer of escape—of a second chance—was too tempting to pass up.
"Yes," I said without hesitation.
Instantly, the darkness around me melted away. I now stood in a field of vibrant flowers beneath a bright sky. Towering mountains surrounded shimmering lakes and flowing rivers. It was like a dream, far more beautiful than anything I had ever seen in life.
Is this heaven? Could someone like me really come here?I looked around in awe. In the distance, I saw people moving—small figures near a grand castle built atop a hill, surrounded by a town. It reminded me of those medieval fantasy settings from games and stories.Wait... is this the past?
The glowing figures stood before me once again, the light around them fading. As it disappeared, they took on human appearances—three men and one woman.
The first was a tall, red-haired man with the imposing build of a warrior. His gaze alone made it hard to breathe, so heavy was the sense of authority he exuded.
The second was a strikingly handsome man with blue eyes and glasses, carrying the air of a refined scholar. Intelligence shimmered behind his eyes, almost palpable.
The third was shorter, with black hair and a bit of chubbiness to his frame. He radiated calmness—like a friendly uncle from next door.
And then there was the woman. Long white hair fell to her waist, and she wore a simple white dress. Her expression was unreadable, emotionless. Yet something about her was deeply mysterious.
Three of them had unusual hair colors. Red hair wasn't too strange, though I'd never seen it in person. White hair was usually for the elderly, but hers was lustrous and youthful—odd, given her young appearance.This really is a fantasy world, isn't it?
"So..." the red-haired man began, his voice deep and firm, "as agreed, you will be reincarnated into this world. But you will bear a great responsibility."
I knew it. No such thing as a free meal.
He turned to the blue-haired man, who stepped forward.
"You will be reborn as a Hero of this generation. Your duty is to defend the Middle Continent from the demon race invading from the South. The war has been raging for six hundred years," he explained. "You will be one of four heroes born in this era."
My expression darkened.A war that's lasted six hundred years? Four heroes per generation, and it's still going? Just how strong are these demons? How can I fight something like that? What even is the demon race?
"Yes," the red-haired man said, seemingly reading my mind, "they are powerful. The war continues because they are relentless—and you must face them."
"Don't worry too much," the black-haired man chimed in with a reassuring tone. "We don't expect you to end the war in a single generation. Your role is to fight, to push back their advances. Defeating the Demon Lord would be ideal, but your main task is to hold the line. For that, you will be granted a gift—what we call a blessing."
Ah, so with great responsibility comes great power, huh?Still, the fact that countless heroes with blessings hadn't ended the war was... terrifying.
"Stop your cowardly thoughts," the red-haired man snapped, confirming once again that they could hear my inner fears.
"Anyway..." the black-haired man said, clearing his throat, "let's move on to the blessing. It's time for you to choose."
"You may select one blessing," the red-haired man said coldly.
"But understand," added the blue-haired man, "a blessing does not make you invincible. It merely enhances one aspect of your ability beyond human limits. For instance, if you choose the Blessing of Strength, you won't be able to split mountains or seas, but you will have the power to take down many enemies in one swing. You'll be beyond normal human capacity—but not godlike."
"Unless you ascend..." the white-haired woman whispered, so softly it was barely audible.
"That said," the blue-haired man continued, "as the one bestowing your blessing, I'd recommend choosing Strength, Magical Power, or Intelligence. These three have been the most successful in past generations. But you're free to choose another if you'd like. So—what blessing will you choose?"
"I want the Blessing of Wealth," I replied confidently.