Reincarnated as a failed hero?! Watch me Defy Fate! - Chapter 163

Chapter 163: Eight Blessings & One Fate
I was ready.

Or at least, I told myself I was. My heart pounded in my chest like a war drum. No one—literally no one—had ever received all the blessings of the gods and goddesses. Not a single soul. No records. No stories. No guarantees. The truth was, I had no idea what kind of side effects might come from taking on this much divine power. For all I knew, my body could explode into light—or worse.

But even so… I had to do it.

This was my duty as the Child of Fate, the one chosen by the Goddess of Benevolence. No matter what happened, I would bear this power for her—for the world—for everyone who couldn’t.

The gods and goddesses now surrounded me in a wide circle, forming a ritual array around the ancient magic circle carved into the floor of the Spire of the Forgotten Goddess.

Normally, divine blessings were granted at each god’s respective Spire. But to everyone’s surprise, this forgotten sanctuary—the once-sacred home of the Goddess of Benevolence—was still connected to all divine domains. As long as a deity channeled their power here, the circle would link to their own Spire and activate it remotely.

The first to step forward was Zarion, the God of Thunder.

He walked toward me with the weight of a storm behind him and stood firmly behind my right shoulder. His presence was electrifying—literally. My hair stood on end as I felt sparks dance around me, reacting to the storm magic within him.

“You know,” Zarion said, crossing his arms, “you’re supposed to go through my Trial first. It’s… not exactly fun. More like pure, agonizing hell.”

I chuckled nervously. “Lucky me?”

“But,” he continued, “because you’re the Child of Fate—and because time isn’t on our side—I’m bypassing tradition. You need strength now, not later. The Demon King won’t wait. And that other god… whoever or whatever he is… he might return sooner than we think.”

I bowed my head slightly. “Thank you.”

Zarion smirked. “Don’t thank me yet. If your body can’t handle my blessing, it might reject it. Or worse—you could randomly get struck by lightning for the rest of your life. Imagine just walking down the street and BZZZZT—crispy Naoki.”

I paled. “P-Please tell me you’re joking.”

“Nope,” he said with a grin. “But hey, if you die, at least it’ll be flashy!”

Before I could brace myself, he slammed his hand onto my back. A surge of power coursed through me like a live wire. The halo above Zarion’s head flared with brilliant golden light, and in the distance, the Spire of Thunder roared to life—arcs of lightning pierced the sky, signaling that the ritual had begun.

The pain was instant. My body felt like it was being incinerated from the inside out. White-hot lightning crawled through my veins, sparking across my nerves. I clenched my teeth, fists trembling, and forced myself not to cry out.

Then… slowly… the pain dulled. My body began to adapt, as if it were syncing with the storm.

A glowing symbol branded itself into the right side of my chest—a stylized lightning bolt encased in a divine crest.

A notification appeared before my eyes:

[Congratulations! You have obtained the Blessing of the Thunder God!]The user channels the wrath of storms, unleashing divine thunder upon their foes. AGI stat increased by +30. Lightning-based abilities deal +50% damage. Attacks have a 20% chance to stun enemies.

I exhaled sharply, beads of sweat rolling down my face. Zarion grinned, satisfied.

“Hah! You didn’t turn into dust! Good. I was only half worried.”

Apparently, I was the first person outside of Stormheim’s hero bloodline to ever receive his blessing. That made me feel kind of honored—and terrified at the same time.

“Thanks… I think,” I said, my voice hoarse.

Then came the next figure—graceful, serene. Aqualia, the Goddess of Water and Ice, stepped forward.

She walked behind me with the elegance of a falling snowflake. Her hand touched my back gently, and instantly, an icy chill spread through me.

The cold was unlike anything I’d felt before—not even when I fought Serena during that blizzard mission. This was divine frost, the chill of the polar abyss, and it wrapped around my soul like a frozen tide.

The ritual began. Her halo glowed a tranquil blue, and far away, the Spire of Water and Ice awakened—an immense column of icy mist rising into the sky.

My body felt submerged in a frozen sea. My consciousness blurred. My breath fogged as the cold gnawed at my mind and tried to pull me under. But I held on. I focused my thoughts. I’m not letting go. I can endure this. I have to.

And then—it stopped. A soft warmth returned, like the calm after a winter storm. A crescent-shaped snowflake symbol etched itself over my left shoulder, faintly glowing.

Another notification followed:

[Congratulations! You have obtained the Blessing of the Water and Ice Goddess!]The user gains command over the fluid force of water and the still bite of ice. Water and ice abilities deal +50% damage. Enemies struck have a 25% chance to be slowed or frozen.

Aqualia stepped back and smiled at me. “This power will serve you well in oceans and snowy lands alike,” she said softly. “I once gave this blessing to a hero named Serena. She, too, fought with grace and courage.”

The mention of Serena made my cheeks flush. I remembered my promise to fight by her side—and how she always managed to throw me off balance.

“I’ll do my best,” I said quickly, trying not to sound too awkward.

Aqualia’s lips curled into a teasing smile. “Perhaps you and Serena would make a good pair.”

My face turned bright red. She chuckled softly, clearly amused by my reaction.

The others around the circle laughed or smirked. It was a rare moment of levity in this sacred place.

Two blessings down… and more to go.

…

The ritual continued, and now it was Terra, the Goddess of Earth, who stepped forward. Her presence was calm yet heavy, like a mountain silently watching the world. Her feet made no sound as they touched the floor, yet the ground seemed to respond—vibrating with reverence.

She placed a firm hand on my shoulder. It was warm, grounding, and solid—like stone.

“You have endured the chaos of lightning and the chill of ice,” Terra said. “Now, receive the patience and strength of the earth. May it hold you steady when all else crumbles.”

The halo above her glowed with a rich, golden-green hue, and the Spire of Earth awakened in the distance, sending out a pulse that caused the very ground to tremble. Dust danced in the air as the ritual began.

I braced myself.

A weight pressed down on my shoulders—as though the planet itself had settled there. My limbs turned heavy, but not weak. Instead, it felt like armor was forming beneath my skin. My heart slowed, beating in time with something ancient and eternal. The energy of mountains, valleys, and stone coursed through me, rooting itself deep within my soul.

A symbol like interlocking stones appeared on my left arm.

Then came the familiar system notification:

[Congratulations! You have obtained the Blessing of the Earth Goddess!]The user is fortified by the unbreakable will of stone. Defense is increased by 40%. Earth-based attacks gain 50% more impact and have a chance to briefly immobilize enemies.

Terra gave me a nod of approval. “May your resolve be as unshakable as the bedrock.”

I bowed slightly in gratitude.

Without pause, the next figure stepped forward—Zephyra, the Goddess of Wind.

Her presence was the complete opposite of Terra’s. She moved like a breeze—light, elusive, and graceful. Her long cloak fluttered even though there was no wind. Her footsteps barely touched the ground.

She smiled. “You’re carrying quite the collection of divine power. Let’s see if you can keep up.”

With a flick of her wrist, her halo shimmered, and a rush of wind blasted through the chamber. The Spire of Wind ignited in the distance, summoning spirals of greenish wind that reached into the clouds.

Her palm touched the back of my neck, and suddenly, the air around me vanished. My breath caught—like I’d been thrown into a vacuum. Then came a rush of pressure—like I was falling, flying, everything at once.

The wind tried to tear me apart and scatter me to the skies. But I didn’t let go. I clenched my fists and grounded myself in the memory of everyone I had sworn to protect.

The storm passed, and with it came clarity. My senses sharpened. My movements felt lighter. I could almost feel the wind anticipating my next step.

A feathered spiral symbol glowed on my right leg.

[Congratulations! You have obtained the Blessing of the Wind Goddess!]The user is graced with the swiftness of the wind. Movement speed and evasion increase by 30%, and wind-based abilities gain a 50% damage bonus.

Zephyra winked at me. “Don’t forget—speed is power, too.”

I gave her a nod, trying not to stumble as I adjusted to the sensation of weightlessness.

Then came Gaia, the God of Nature. His aura was serene, like a vast forest untouched by man. Leaves seemed to bloom in his footsteps, and even the stone beneath us grew tiny green vines as he passed.

He spoke calmly, his voice deep and comforting. “Life and nature flourish not just through strength—but through balance and care. I offer you the gift of resilience.”

He reached out and touched my chest with two fingers. His halo shimmered with hues of forest green, and the Spire of Nature came to life—roots and vines spiraling upward like a growing tree, pulsing with healing energy.

Warmth spread through me. It was different than the others—gentle, nurturing. I could feel the pulse of the earth, the heartbeat of the wild, and the resilience of a thousand forests whispering through my veins.

A leaf-shaped symbol with thorny edges appeared over my heart.

[Congratulations! You have obtained the Blessing of the Nature God!]Healing magic becomes 50% more effective. VIT stat increases by +50. Once per battle, when HP drops below 20%, Gaia’s blessing triggers: instantly restoring 40% health and summoning a thorned vine barrier that reduces incoming damage by 30% for 10 seconds and damages attackers.

Gaia nodded. “This power will protect you when no one else can.”

I inhaled deeply. With every new blessing, my body felt more alive—and yet more burdened.

Finally, the last figure stepped forward—Solis, the Goddess of Light.

She looked at me with warmth in her golden eyes. “This… is for the light that still exists in you, Naoki.”

Her touch was soft, almost weightless. Her halo shone with radiant brilliance, and the Spire of Light awakened with beams that pierced the sky, scattering darkness like the sun breaking through the clouds.

Her blessing flowed into me like a sunrise—gentle, hopeful, yet searing with purity. It illuminated the depths of my soul, forcing even the faintest shadow to retreat. I felt exposed—vulnerable—but not in fear. It was cleansing.

A glowing sigil of radiance formed on my back, shaped like twin sunbursts.

[Congratulations! You have obtained the Blessing of the Light Goddess!]Light-based abilities gain 50% extra power. The user has a 60% chance to exorcise Dark Magic. This blessing possesses a higher evolution, though it is currently sealed.

I blinked. “A sealed evolution?”

Solis gave me a mysterious smile. “You’ll understand… when the time comes.”

With that, the final blessing was complete.

I stood slowly, breathless, feeling all eight blessings humming within me like stars in orbit. Fire, Thunder, Ice, Earth, Wind, Nature, Protection, and Light. My body had become a vessel for divine power, a living tapestry of the gods and goddesses hope.

I wasn’t just a warrior now.

I was the Child of Fate. The person who will become the strongest hero in this world and will defeat even the demon king and Outer God.