Hestia suddenly jumped on me, wrapping my head into her bosom and squishing me into her mounds.
I tried to resist… but when I looked up and saw her joyful face, I stopped.'She must have been desperate… for her to cry over getting a Familia member,' I thought, noticing the faint tears gathering at the corners of her eyes.
She kept hugging me, refusing to let go.
After a minute, it was fine.After five minutes, it was uncomfortable.After thirty? I was exhausted.
"Goddess Hestia… I'm tired. Could you please let me go?" I asked politely, my voice muffled in her chest. Even I was surprised by how long I held my breath, only able to breathe in tiny cracks of air.
She cupped my face with a huge smile.
"Okay!" she beamed, releasing me… and promptly pushing me onto the bed, face-down.
'I feel like I'm about to get violated by a goddess…' I thought nervously.
"Now, let me bless you with my divine power and make you part of my Familia!" she cheered as she hopped onto my back and pulled off my shirt, exposing my upper body.
'That scared me for a second.'
As she sat on me, I could feel the softness of her thighs. It was… arousing, admittedly. But I forced myself to stay focused. It wasn't the time for those thoughts.
Hestia was bold. Maybe it was her nature, or maybe she was just that excited. I didn't know.
"Wait! I forgot the needle, hehe~" she giggled like an airhead, hopping off.
'She's… really excited,' I thought, smiling slightly at her energy.
"I got it!" she chirped, picking up a small needle from the side table and hopping back onto my back.
'Please be gentle… or you'll break my spine,' I muttered internally, giving her a wary glance.
"Let's do this," she said, pricking her finger with the needle and drawing blood.
When the drop of ichor fell onto my back, she declared:
"By my name, Hestia, I bless you with my Falna.From this moment on, you are part of my Familia."
A soft light began to glow. She watched in awe as letters and symbols started to form. The light grew brighter and brighter… until, for a split second, a dark flicker pulsed through it — faint, but real. It appeared, then vanished, only to flicker again moments later.
Hestia pressed her finger against my back as the divine blood shimmered. The Falna grew brighter — ancient symbols blooming across my skin in glowing script, pulsing with raw energy.
And then—
Her voice caught.
The playful grin on her face faded slowly.
The markings continued to write themselves.
First came the stats — all standard. All at zero.
Then the script began to twist. Deep, curling characters etched themselves into my skin like veins of starlight… laced with something darker. Like ash burned into fate.
Crimson RebirthA twisted blessing. The body grows through agony. No stat update required. No delay. Growth comes instantly — with pain that breaks even silence.
BladebondSteel rewards suffering. Injury sharpens the edge. Comfort dulls the hand.
Grace of the Hollow StarBeauty that binds. Serenity that scars. The soul calls, and others listen — too closely.
Martyr's HaloHealing through pain. Salvation at a price. A halo not of holiness, but of hurt.
VeilpiercerDivinity undone by touch.
Hestia's breath trembled in her throat.
"…These aren't normal."
She leaned closer, her fingers hovering just over the lines of glowing script as they pulsed with divine recognition. She read each one again — slower, more carefully — her lips tightening with every word.
"…Who gave you these?" she whispered under her breath.
But no one had.
No other god had touched Him.
These weren't granted.
They were born into him.
I turned my head slightly, my voice soft. "Is something wrong?"
Hestia swallowed, then forced a smile — a soft, brave one, though her wide eyes betrayed her shock.
"No. Nothing's wrong… just—"She let out a nervous laugh. "Let's just say… you're very special."
'More like impossible,' she thought. 'To have five abilities at Level 1… it's unheard of. Maybe Hephaestus would know something.'
She placed her hand gently on my shoulder and whispered a small blessing.
As the Falna's light faded, she made a silent vow in her heart.
'Whatever cursed path the world carved into this child… whatever pain he must endure, I will be there for him — every step of the way.'
Then, a darker thought passed through her mind:
'It's as if the world wants to break him. To chain him. To make him feel nothing… and keep using him — for amusement.'