Aurelian Celestis Luminarum

"Alright! Now that you're up to speed and you've settled on your appearance, let's get down to business," the Goddess announces.

'Oh right, I need to choose an ability,' I recall.

"I did say to pick any ability, but I have a suggestion." the Goddess interjects.

"What kind of suggestion?" I inquire, intrigued.

"You've got a choice here. Either request any non-world-breaking ability or..." The Goddess snaps her fingers, and a golden flash of light appears.

I open my eyes to a small, mesmerizing, revolving golden sphere. It has strange ancient-looking runes on its surface.

"It's beautiful..." I mutter involuntarily.

"It certainly is! Rejoice, mortal! You're the second being in existence to lay eyes on the Aurelian Celestis Luminarum," she declares with pride.

"What... what is that?" I whisper, captivated by its beauty.

"Behold, The 'Aurelian Celestis Luminarum.' An artifact that has existed since creation began, its mere sight could obliterate your soul. The Nexus is sustaining your existence while you gaze upon it," the Goddess explains, eyes fixed on the artifact.

"No one knows its origin or how it was made. Gods have waged cosmic wars to obtain it from me, but none succeeded. This artifact has caused more deaths than creation itself," she continues, her gaze intense.

"Any being who uses this artifact…gains infinite potential. By infinite, I mean INFINITE. But make no mistake; it bestows the potential for infinite growth, not an instant mastery. The choice lies before you: opt for any ability now, and it shall be granted, or..." She lightly taps the sphere with her index finger, and as it drifts toward me, the space it occupies warps and distorts, as though unraveling at the seams.

"Either an instant powerup with a clear growth cap or the potential to transcend everything…" The Godly aura around her almost makes me kneel.

"W-why give it to me? Why haven't you used it if it's so powerful?" I question, skepticism in my tone.

"I can't use it. The scripture states that only those with nothing have the potential to wield it. All Gods seek it to give it to someone on their side. Countless mortal lives and even Gods have been lost in pursuit of it," she reveals.

'She's doing the same huh? By giving it to me, she made an ally with the potential of infinite growth…" I deduce.

A sly smile appears on the Goddess's lips.

"Correct! You're more levelheaded than I thought you would be." The Goddess leans back on her throne again.

"How do you know I won't betray you after taking this?" I question.

"You won't. Call it woman's intuition," she asserts confidently.

"You're basing it on something like that? Haaah…whatever." I sigh.

"My choice is pretty obvious," I say with a wry smile.

"Indeed it is," she chuckles.

I reach my hand towards the Aurelian Celestis Luminarum. Just as my fingertip touches its surface, it shines brightly as it turns into liquid gold and gets absorbed into my hand.

A moment of silence follows.

"Is something going to happen?" A confused expression appears on my face as I look at the Goddess who is looking at me with all of her attention. It feels as if she would bore a hole through me with her gaze.

"I…I don't know. You're the first in history to use it. Do you feel any different? The scriptures say it manifests uniquely in different individuals," she inquires.

"I don't feel any different than nor-AGHHHH?!"

I scream in pain as a burning sensation spreads through my body. My head feels like it's about to explode as I fall over in agony. I feel as if I'm experiencing every pain that exists all at once at the same time.

The Goddess watches in silence with a cold gaze.

A golden light wraps around my body. It seeps into me as it reshapes my whole existence,

After a few minutes of agony, it starts to calm down as I slowly open my eyes.

'Is it over…? Fuck, that was brutal.' I mutter, getting up from the ground.

"Hmm…" I look up and find the Goddess staring intently at my left arm.

"What are you looking at-" I stop, stunned by the resplendent golden mark on the back of my left hand.

"What the?" I blurt out, gazing at the intricate, glowing golden tattoo.

It's a beautiful intricate golden tattoo. It's somewhat shaped like an arrow with many details. It was glowing a soft golden color.

I look back up at the Goddess and find a shocked expression on her face.

"That mark is…" She whispers in a low voice.

"What? Do you recognize this mark?" I ask, puzzled.

"I… I don't…" She says after a bit of hesitation.

"Then why did you make that face?" I press.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it…" she replies, wearing a cold expression.

"But you-" I halt as something materializes in front of me.

[ Initializing Integration Protocol ]

A translucent, golden holographic display materializes in the air in front of me. The text of the notification glows with a soft, otherworldly light, hovering in mid-air like a series of luminescent runes.

"This is…"

"The materialization of how you subconsciously wanted it to be. It calibrated itself into a form that you can instinctively understand."

'Okay…this just got a whole lot crazier…'