Before Desmond entered the towering structure, he thought it was nothing more than a rundown ruin, a relic of the past with an intriguing history with the promise of ancient treasures waiting to be discovered. What he didn’t expect to find was that the interior transformed before his very eyes, revealing a workspace of immaculate cleanliness and enchantment.

Desmond blinked as a pop-up nearly blinded him in the low light.

You have revealed the Miracle Workers Pristine Laboratory.

Achievement unlocked: Miracle Mindfulness

The Miracle worker has accidentally left the front door wide open, believing no one was smart enough to enter. (Well done, you!)

You are the first player to have revealed the Miracle workers' Pristine laboratory.

Requirements met:

level 5 or above

Intelligence 15 or above

Rewards: Access to the laboratory.

+3 wisdom

A surge of excitement filled Desmond, as what seemed his sense of adventure had paid off.

With eager eyes, he surveyed the interworking of the unknown miracle worker. Brilliantly coloured artworks decked the walls, depicting fantastical creatures and breathtaking landscapes that seemed to come alive. He paused for a moment when he realised it was no mere artistry effect. The paintings were 100% alive.

Even as he walked, animals stared at him while an old man with a long grey beard with narrow slits for eyes peered at him suspiciously.

Desmond walked away from the paintings and focused on the magical workstations.

A soft light glowed from carefully arranged magical implements resting upon tables. Each item sparkled with an inner light, hinting at their potent mystical contents. The air hummed with an ethereal energy, as if the very essence of magic coursed through the tower's every stone.

“What is this place?” Desmond said absently, in complete awe.

A pop-up notification blinked beside him. He instinctively opened the chat box.

Chat:

Arlexior: It just said you entered the Miracle workers Pristine Lab?

Viewers online: 2

He did a double take. “I know that,” he said, exasperated. “I, mean what really is this place?”

Chat:

Arlexior: A lab… lol

Viewers online: 2

“I know that,” Desmond said, exasperated. “But what for?”

Chat:

Arlexior: For Miracles.

Viewers online: 2

Desmond fought the urge to string a line of curses at the guy, knowing he probably was just being annoying on purpose.

“Well, anyway, I’m going to keep exploring this place, so…” Desmond waited for him to respond.

User has left the channel.

“Wow…what was that?” he asked confused.

Chat:

FluffyDinos: Probs just a troll… Or an idiot.

Viewers online: 1

“Oh, hey Fluffy, have you been watching long?”

Chat:

FluffyDinos: Nah, not long. Just when you entered the tower.

Viewers online: 1

“Oh nice, well anyway I’m the first to explore this place I think,” he said as he continued to soak in the sights.

He moved closer to the nearest table. Yet as he approached an Intricate protective enchantment shimmered around it, guarding the magical implements with a slightly pinkish shield. They looked expensive and may even be useful.

His greed getting the better of him, he tested the shield by poking with an outstretched hand.

“Ouch!” Desmond yelped.

-10 health.

The barrier sparkled and danced in response, displaying its deadly warding capabilities.

Desmond stuck his fingers in his mouth and sucked on them. They stung.

Chat:

FluffyDinos: That was silly…

Viewers online: 1

“Yeah, I dow,” he said with a sheepish grin then pulled his fingers out of his mouth. “I just wanted to try it once. But I won't try that again.”

He paused in thought. Maybe.

“Open minor portal.”

-15 mana.

The pink portal opened on the other side of the protective barrier, and he was able to prod the magical implements on the other side but wasn’t able to nab any. The portal was far too small to fit anything through its tiny two-centimetre hole. Even the idle coins on the tables were slightly too big to fit. He pulled his hand safely back through.

-15 mana.

His portal vanished.

“Bugger.”

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

Defeated, he turned to see what other mysteries the tower had in store for him. As he explored, he noticed that there was a hidden stairway to the next floor behind a row of bookshelves. A smile fell on his lips as he approached, but instantly stopped when another magic barrier appeared inches from his face, barring his way. This time it shone with a blueish hue.

Chat:

FluffyDinos: This place looks awesome…

FluffyDinos: Awww a door that sucks.

Viewers online: 1

Desmond took a step back and eyed the barrier, noticing that on the other side of the barrier on the wall looked to be a button of some sort. A convenient place to lock the tower, he thought.

Desmond smiled, as the only obstacle before him was the time to refill his mana bar.

Chat:

FluffyDinos: Why you stop?

Viewers online: 1

“I’m just waiting for my mana to refill. I need another minute before it's full.”

Chat:

FluffyDinos: Wow really? Your mana ticks back so quick.

Viewers online: 1

Desmond grinned at the chat. “Perks of playing an elf.”

Chat:

FluffyDinos: Seriously? I chose human because I wanted it to look like me IRL…

Viewers online: 1

As Desmond chatted idly, his mana bar filled in just over one minute and as soon as he was ready, he focused next to the button and repeated, “Open Minor Portal!”

-15 mana.

When the portal opened, Desmond quickly poked his finger through the hole and pressed the button. A ripple of mystic energy surged through the entire tower, releasing the magic. Instantly, the blue barrier flickered, then dissipated, allowing full access to the floor above. Desmond grinned as he eagerly climbed the tower his face set in a broad grin.

“Oi young man what on earth are you doing?” shouted a voice. It seemed to echo not from just above him but also below him.

With a frown, he peered around the corner of the second floor. There again was the strange painting of an old man with a massively long grey beard that poured out from the frame and down to the floor.

“Um, hello?” he said tentatively.

“Who the fucking blazes are you bucko?” the old man screamed.

Chat:

FluffyDinos: LOL holy shit guy….

Viewers online: 1

“I’m just Des… I mean I’m Ph0en1x.”

“Phoenix? What a bloody stupid name. Now! Get out of my tower!”

Desmond took a step back and was about to turn tail and run when a thought came to him. “Why?” he asked.

The old man screwed up his face. “Did a horse kick you upside in the head? This is my tower! Not yours! GET OUT!”

Chat:

FluffyDinos: WOW rude!

Viewers online: 1

Desmond wasn’t about to let this opportunity go. There was a mountain worth of gold at his fingertips, ready to be looted. Desmond crossed his arms. “Make me.”

“Fine! I will!” the old man barked and stared at him intently.

Desmond flinched. But nothing happened.

Instead, the old man made weird facial expressions and mumbled some incoherent noises in his general direction.

“Are you okay?”

Chat:

FluffyDinos: I think he was the one to be kicked in the head by a horse.

Viewers online: 1

“Damn it! Why won’t it work!” the old man pouted. “Your head should have exploded.”

Desmond shrugged; he didn’t have an answer for the old fool. “I’m just gonna keep looking, if you don’t mind.”

“I do mind! Get out!”

Desmond waved a hand at the noisy painting and continued to explore. The second floor was covered in books and implements guarded by the same pinkish enchantments. Again, most of the expensive items were still a little too big for his tiny portal.

“I wonder if there’s some sort of off switch for these pink shields.”

“No! There isn’t you insufferable thieving sphincter hound!”

Chat:

FluffyDinos: ROFL! Sphincter hound…

Viewers online: 1

Desmond couldn’t help but chuckle at the insult. The old mans face however turned red as he screamed ineffectually.

“Let’s keep going up I guess,” Desmond said and talked towards the next set out stairs.

The old man instantly stopped screaming with an obviously triumphant expression, causing Desmond to pause a step. When he turned to the old guy, his grin instantly vanished as he turned up, staring at a random spot behind the veil of the painting, pretending to be distracted. Desmond’s eyes narrowed, then turned back to where he was walking.

He gasped.

One more step and Desmond would have stepped on what looked like a super obvious pressure plate. Cautiously walking backwards, surveying the rest of the floor he picked up a nearby stool and tossed it at the pressure pad from a safe distance.

Instantly a hole in the tower wall opened up, sunlight spilling into the room and a massive catapult appeared from under the plate, vaulting the poor defenceless stool out of the tower and far into the distance, only to land with a shattering thump.

Chat:

FluffyDinos: Holy shit…

Viewers online: 1

Desmond sighed with relief.

“Aw you prick! That took me ages to set up.”

Desmond grinned at the old man. “That was pretty awesome not gonna lie.”

The old man smiled with pride for a brief moment then realised he was still mad at the intruder.

“Don’t you dare flirt with me devil child!”

Desmond rolled his eyes then continued his path forwards now careful of his footing. He was quite fortunate to miss the trap. As he neared the next staircase, another blue hue appeared before him as another barrier materialised, with a button secured in the same easy to access location.

Luckily, he only needed to wait for a moment before his mana filled once more.

“Open minor portal!”

-15 mana.

His finger prodded the second button, and he continued to climb the tower. With a grin, he realised that this was the final floor and by far the most extravagant with plush carpets and so much glittering goodies. The old man appeared before him once more, this time within a far larger portrait that had his name embossed underneath.

Nuecus the Thaumaturgic.

Chat:

FluffyDinos: And he was giving you shit for your name…

Viewers online: 1

“Hey! What are you laughing about?” the old man shouted. “GET OUT!”

Desmond ignored the old kook and took in the top floor’s magnificence. A massive, fossilised Tyrannosaurus Rex was displayed in the vast chamber, looming over a myriad of magical instruments. Desmond’s eyebrows lifted in confusion. The dinosaur had massive chicken wings above its silly little vestigial front limbs.

Bookshelves lined the walls in every direction, reaching up to the roof far above him. Tables here and there held many tools, wands and crystal balls of every shape and size.

“Wait wands!” he said excitedly. They were just thin enough to fit through the portal. “Finally, I can get a weapon!”

“Don’t you dare!”

Desmond waved off the old man's annoyance and eyed the table's contents with greedy eyes. There were so many different types of wands to choose from he was spoilt for choice. Each carved from different types of wood with completely different shapes and sizes, some with animal carvings and obnoxiously gilded handles.

Chat:

FluffyDinos: Oooh! GET THE PINK ONE!!!

Viewers online: 1

“Um, no thanks.” He said apologetically. “I’m going for the fanciest one, and I don’t particularly want the one with the love heart handle.”

Chat:

FluffyDinos: Awwwww

Viewers online: 1

“Sorry.”

He then continued his search. He wanted a wand that would serve him well enough now, and when he outgrew it, he could sell it for a pretty penny later on.

His eyes scanned the room. There were so many choices. He was close to choosing one with a brown handle gilded golden and polished smooth when something in his vision flickered, sending a shilling sensation down his spine. An overwhelming sensation of apprehension and intrigue.

“Don’t you dare!” spat Nuecus.

“Dare what?” he asked as he searched for the object of his intrigue.

Then he spotted it. Desmond gaped.

Carved from a tree darker than charcoal, thin as his finger yet as long as his forearm, its smooth handle embossed with a simmering metal that reflected something other than light. He took a tentative step forward and couldn’t help but grin. This was it. The wand almost spoke to him to take it.

“Don’t do it!”

“Open minor portal!”

-15 mana.

Desmond placed the portal directly next to the wand handle so all he needed to do was drag his finger carefully down its smooth handle. A second later, he successfully pulled a tiny bit of it through, enough to get a grip of it and pull.

You have received the Soul wand.

Soul Wand:

Unknown.

A long time ago, Nuecus the Thaumaturgic trapped a soul within a wand.

Ever since, he was far too frightened to use it and left it in his laboratory.

Damage: Unknown/Unknown.

Bonus stats: Unknown.

Sell value: Unknown.

Quality: Unknown.

Durability: Unknown.