[Avardum: Day 044 | Location: Howling Plains | Marcus]

The air was humming with mana as Marcus and Aurora worked on the Mana Purifier. Already, the device was functioning at a fraction of its full potential and saturating the air in the temple to a higher degree than the normal ambient mana levels. As they delved deeper into the intricate mechanisms of the purifier, the sensation of being watched intensified.

The next hour was mind-numbing, with Marcus acting as an extension of Aurora's will. She was delicately balancing the Mana Barriers, Pyroclastic Resin, and Cinder Hearths with layers of Cindersteel, Dungeon Stone, and Mana Stone. When she was finally satisfied, and Marcus had laid in the active skills he needed, the sudden influx of mana, without even being activated, was astonishing.

Suddenly Ah-Nu Appeared. "This is quite interesting. You had said you wanted to purify them, but I did not think it was possible. Did you know when you completed this, even in the Divine realm, people felt it. You are a monster, Marcus, one of a kind, and to give you an AI, it's almost cheating."

"Welcome back, Ah-Nu. You must be watching closely we only completed this moments ago," Marcus said, his instincts going into overdrive, as they did every time Ah-Nu paid a visit.

"Well, you are the only entity to have my blessing, so I may as well keep an eye on you," Ah-Nu said, admiring the statue of Elina. He turned to look directly at Marcus, which Marcus found disconcerting as he no longer had a physical body. "Are you ready to try what you promised?"

"Yes, though I had wanted to try generating mana before I tried to purge any of the Dark Divinity Points."

"Beter to get this possibility resolved now, rather than later."

"Very well," Marcus said, summoning a single one of the ten Dark Divity Points from his inventory. He placed it into the hollow chamber at the base of the statue. "If this does not work, I will surrender these to you, Ah-Nu, so that you may do as you wish with them as you will."

Ah-Nu bowed his head in thanks. "This is much appreciated, Marcus, though I do hope you succeed."

"As do I," Marcus said, pausing for a moment. "Very well, let us try this out, shall we."

"Please, by all means, ignore that I am here. I will do my best to contain my power as well so that it will not influence anything you do."

"Thank you, Ah-Nu," Marcus said, then focused on the task at hand. "Aurora, you have one job..."

"Regulate the mana and heat transference," Aurora said with confidence.

"Correct. Alright, let us get rolling."

Marcus and Aurora begin to work together to direct mana to and from different areas, using heat to force air from outside the barriers, air impregnated with Nullmana, to flow into several underground pipes and into the base of the statue. Then Marcus went to work in earnest.

Marcus was a Dungeon Core, a formidable entity existing at the intersection of magic and consciousness. And to top that off, he was apparently a Dungeon Core unlike any other due to his prior life, his AI assistant, and the sheer amount of starting perks he had been given. Had anyone looked at the blue gem that was his body, they would have seen it encased in an ethereal glow. The core emanated an aura that hinted at the immense power Marcus held within. His presence alone seemed to command the arcane energies that surrounded him, emphasizing his role as the steward of the Mana Purifier, and the mind that was enforcing their will on reality in this moment.

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

The Mana Purifier itself was a marvel of magical engineering, an intricate web of Mana Barriers, Pyroclastic Resin, Cinder Hearths, and layered materials such as Cindersteel, Dungeon Stone, and Mana Stone. The device, still pulsating with latent energy, awaited the final touch that would unleash its full potential. Ah-Nu watched, his breath frozen as he felt the mana build, waves of pressure from the overwhelming quantity of mana, he air in the temple vibrated with the humming resonance of mana. The ambient magical energies seemed to respond to Marcus's intentions, creating an otherworldly symphony. Yet, with each adjustment made to the purifier, the strain on Marcus's immense willpower became increasingly evident.

The air crackled with anticipation as Marcus's determination clashed against the challenges presented by the Mana Purifier. Ah-Nu's sudden appearance had injected a sense of surrealism into the scene. The divine being, a spectator to Marcus's extraordinary feat, acknowledged the uniqueness of his endeavor. The compliment echoed through the sanctum, underscoring the significance of Marcus's capabilities and the unorthodox alliance with his AI counterpart.

In the nexus of magic centered at the feet of the statue of the Goddess Elina, Marcus and Aurora continued their meticulous dance with the Mana Purifier. Aurora barely kept up with the sheer number of changes that needed to be made, and Marcus relied purely on his overwhelming mental strength to force the goal to fruition. The culmination of their efforts promised not just a purification of mana but a transformative event that resonated beyond the confines of the temple.

Marcus had begun to sweat, or at least he would have if he had a body. It had been ten minutes since the Mana Purifier started, and the Dark Divinity Point was still sucking up Mana like a blackhole sucked-up matter. It is already pushing Marcus to the limit. He does not know if he can keep this up.

"Almost," Ah-Nu says hoarsely as if he can barely believe what it is that he is seeing.

Taking that to heart, Marcus powers though, and just when his mind feels as if it is about to snap, reality seems to click into place. Where the Dark Divinity Points once stood, there is now a brightly shining piece of material. Marcus is fed a bit of information as he looks at the object. "One piece of Radiant Divinity made to order."

"Yes." Ah-Nu Hisses, "Do you know what you have done here, Marcus? Do you understand what this is?"

"Not really, no."

"This," Ah-Nu carefully lifted the glowing object out of the small door Marcus had caused to open, "is raw Divine power. Something that any god may use to grow stronger, or that any mortal may attempt to use to become a god."

"That is... is mildly terrifying. Is this stuff easy to get?"

Ah-Nu scoffed and put the Radiant Divinity back on the ground. "The amount of power you just coorced into reality, is the same that a god would get from a thousand faithful praying for a year. This is something that I never expected."

Marcus remained silent as Ah-Nu seemed thoughtful. Finally, the first god spoke once more. "I have a deal for you, Marcus. Over the years I have acquired a fair amount of these Dark Divinity Points, mostly by removing them from corrupted individuals. I will reward you for each one that you purify for me."

Marcus thinks for a moment, "I will do that, but on top of that, I want the Dark Divinity Points that I have now and any I find in the future to be distributed how I want. DO as you will with yours, but the resulting Radiant Divinity that I get from my Dark Divinity Points will be given out as I see, and as I see alone. Deal?"

"Deal," Ah-Nu said with a nefarious and knowing grin, "Want to try your hand at being a God Marcus?"

"No, not at all," Marcus said, and with a thought, he sacrificed the Radiant Divinity to Elina, and a wave of healing energies emanated out from Marcus's core to wash across the entire world.

The moment as Ah-Nu and the very world seemed to take a breath in relief was palpable. "An excellent decision, Marcus. Being a god is not all it is cracked up to be."

Suddenly, Ah-Nu stiffened, his eyes growing hawklike, and Marcus's instincts screaming at him to run. Marcus could feel it too, eyes upon him, eyes of a kind that would have sent shivers down his spine if he still had a body.

Ah-Nu spoke, one sentence, before suddenly vanishing. "Something is watching us."