As Desmond eyed his new prize, Nuecus shouted a string of nonsensical verbal abuse that was far more amusing than insulting.
Choosing to ignore the strange man, he looked at his new weapon more carefully. The soul wand was shrouded in so much mystery. “I wonder if I can even use this?”
A pop-up flashed before him.
Equip item?
Yes/No
Desmond shrugged and placed his finger on the ‘yes’ button.
“Ha! Now you’ve done it!” Nuecus said, eyeing the structure.
The floor rumbled and tables popped as magic flowed through the very fabric of reality. Every untouched glorious glittering prize vanished from sight as an invisible force teleported them away.
“Uh, oh!” Desmond mumbled, as the floor slowly began to spin one way while the walls turned in the other. He accidentally dropped his new wand only for it to attach to his hip by some invisible force.
“Ha! The Insta-Thief(o)matic-Flinger is still working! You’re gonna die scum!”
“The what, oh what?”
Desmond fought to keep his footing as the floor gained momentum. Thinking quickly, he ran to the centre where a small circular platform stood still, seemingly controlling the entire magical apparatus. With a sigh of relief, he realised he made it just in time. Centrifugal force had caught everything in its clutches, sending every object towards the outer walls.
Chat:
FluffyDinos: Stop the spinning! Ugggh I think I’m going to be sick…
Viewers online: 1
As the room spun faster and faster, chaos erupted in all directions while the thunderous sound of destruction filled the air. Chairs, tables, and lamps became airborne projectiles, colliding and shattering into tiny bits.
With a resounding thud, even the massive weight of a giant dinosaur fossil crashed against the wall, smashing into a million pieces. The tower seemed to shake under the relentless force of the spinning mechanism.
"Ughh!" Desmond groaned, feeling his head swim as the rotating room intensified. Dizzying disorientation washed over him, making it difficult to keep his balance. The world became a blur of fragmented objects whirling in a chaotic dance before him.
Chat:
FluffyDinos: I can’t watch anymore… ttyl.
Viewers online: 1
User has left the channel.
Suddenly, sections of the tower wall opened, releasing the shattered remnants into the open air. Splinters and shards flew haphazardly. Desmond clenched his eyes shut, trying to block out the disorienting whirlwind that threatened to upset his stomach.
Then suddenly the room stopped, and the remaining broken objects fell to the floor. When Desmond slowly opened his eyes, he found the once splendorous tower was now in complete shambles.
“Ow, wook what wou wave wone!” Nuecus shouted. His portrait had fallen off the wall, landing face down. The only reason Desmond could recognise it was his was due the grey beard poking out from under the frame.
“Me? It was your stupid spell thingy,” Desmond said, lifting the painting over to flip it over.
“Yeah, dragon shit… Why would I believe in a word a snivelling thief?” Nuecuses' face looked bruised, and his attire was completely dishevelled. The old man fixed his messy beard just enough to poke out his tongue.
Desmond dropped the frame back on the floor. “Bah!” he said, waving his arms.
“Hey! Come back here!”
Before he could think of a retort, his eyes fell on an object revealed by the recent revolutionary reorganisation. The object lay in a protected alcove behind Nuecuses painting unaffected by the spinning of the room.
“Hey where are you going?”
Desmond ignored the loon and moved to inspect the hidden alcove. There, on a bed of purply velvet, was a round orb that looked very, very expensive. His eyes lit up as he neared the treasure only to freeze when he spotted the familiar blue hue of the invisible barrier.
“Ha! Thwarted again you punk!”
Desmond shot the fallen painting an irritated glance, then focused his eyes on the prize. He nearly laughed when he spotted the all too familiar button located conveniently on the other side of the alcove.
“Open minor portal!”
-15 mana.
As soon as the shield fell, he strode forwards and snapped up the spherical prize. It looked like a giant pearl the size of a small child's skull.
You have gained an item.
Pure Orb of Purity:
Quest item.
This magical object has the ability to purify even the most extreme of curses.
Item use 1/1
Sell value: 500 gold.
Quality: Epic.
Durability: 25/25.
“Okay now that’s what I’m talking about!” he smiled as he placed the orb into his inventory.
Inventory:
Portal Box
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Noble’s coin purse 11/50
Pure Orb of Purity
With a chuckle, he strode towards the painting and gave it a wink. “Thanks,” he said to the old man, then went down the stairs. The first and second levels were just as wrecked as the topmost floor, with almost every shiny treasure vanished from sight. While he made his way, the same painting with the old man swore at him every step of the way.
“You bastard! Come back here!”
“Thieving Pricktorall fin.”
Desmond just rolled his eyes as the strange insults were flung his way.
“Bring me back my stuff you Crotch Goblin!”
Just as he left the tower, a prompt barred his way.
Congratulations!
You are the first to complete the Miracle Workers Laboratory.
Store tower into portal box? Yes/no.
Tower complete.
He ignored the prompt, waving it away with the back of his hand as he walked through it with a grin on his face. As soon as his back foot left the giant tower, a popping sound echoed behind him.
“What?” he mumbled.
You have gained an item.
As Desmond turned around, his eyes widened in shock. The tower had vanished. His hand instinctively reached out, expecting to touch its invisible surface, but his finger touched only air. There was nothing left. The tower had simply gone, leaving behind nothing but a massive crater in its wake.
"Um, whoops…" Desmond muttered in disbelief.
“Hey where did the tower go?” echoed a familiar voice.
“No Idea Nev!”
Desmond froze at Bill’s response. The slow brained bandits had awoken from their little nap.
“Let’s go ‘ave a look den,” replied Nev.
Realizing the likelihood of being caught red-handed of the crime of destroying a local landmark, Desmond knew it was time to move on. So, he swiftly avoided the unwanted attention of the local bandits and jogged down the road.
“Yep, it's gone,” said Bill, his voice fading into the background as Desmond powered his way down the road.
After a few panicked breaths, he realised he’d done it. Desmond was in the clear and the bandits were now focused on the missing tower had completely missed any trace of him. With a sigh, he slowed his pace and continued the rest of the way with a cheerful albeit brisk walk. After a few minutes, he came up to a promising sign.
Welcome to Lowesome Village.
Level 1-6 quest zone.
With a grin, he knew he was just about to enter his very first true medieval fantasy experience. He had been so excited about entering his first town. His mind shot to the idea of chatting with brutish dwarves in the tavern or striking up a flirtatious conversation with some local female elves. He couldn’t help but run these fantasies through his mind over and over as he walked. His excitement building with every step.
You have entered Lowesome Village.
What he didn’t imagine in his wild fantasies was the bombardment of players running around, trying to complete every imaginable quest as fast as they can. The locals stood around dumbfounded in awe at the sudden influx of people overwhelming the quaint little village. Despite the crazed point hungry players, the town’s aesthetic was super cute, sidled by a pretty little stream with an old, rounded stone bridge and dozens of charming cottages capped by courageous thriving plant life.
Humans, elves and dwarves ran this way and that, with ludicrous names above their heads, trying to find lost sheep, pick flowers and do random, generic fantasy trope things.
All Desmond could do to keep his fantasy alive was to find some sign of life untarnished by the stupidity of power levelling loonies.
These poor people, Desmond thought as he dodged the clumsy footing of overzealous players and made his way towards the local tavern. Maybe here he could find solace. Just as he was about to enter, a player flew out from the entrance with an audible crunch as a woman’s voice shouted insults.
“Get out if you got no damn money,” she screamed.
When Desmond tentatively poked his head through, he expected to see a rush of players, but luckily found the tavern barren of newbies.
He breathed a sigh of relief as he moved with a calm swagger to an empty seat.
This is what I’m talking about…
A barmaid with long blonde pigtails and an outfit out of the history channel appeared, looking rather annoyed she stood before him with a dirty rag around a clean cup. She stared daggers at him as she worked the cup, adding more smudge marks as she stared Desmond down.
“Who the heck are you?” she asked.
Desmond flinched. “I’m uh.”
The barmaid let of a deep sigh. “Ah, never mind it doesn’t matter. Got any coin?” her voice tinged dangerously, looking to ready herself for yet another hurling.
Desmond visibly cringed under her gaze and thought quickly. “I, ah yes, I want a drink.”
She eyed him suspiciously. “That’ll be five coppers.”
Desmond’s expression brightened as he opened his inventory and pulled out the right amount of copper coins from his recently acquired noble’s purse.
When the woman’s eyes spotted the coin, she visibly brightened with a sigh of relief, then moved to the bar to pour some golden liquid into a clean wooden mug.
Desmond waited patiently as the woman returned with the beverage, slopping it on the table before him. Its scent reached him first, causing a cascade of salivation to fall from his tongue. Holding the rich aroma of honey mixed with local herbs, the drink was more than tantalising.
When the golden liquid hit his lips, his pupils dilated. It was absolutely out of this world, refreshing as a bitter wind, sweet as a lover's kiss and welcoming as a warm fire.
“Oh, shit this is deliciousness.” Desmond said with a moan.
The barmaid looked prideful as she tucked her arms in an apron. “Glad you like it. Brewed it this season.”
“You made this?”
She nodded, face beaming.
He quickly downed the entire mug, feeling thirstier than he had ever been. He then produced a silver coin. “Another please!”
Her eyes widened as she spotted the coin, clearly excited by the unexpected exorbitant amount.
She spun on the spot with the silver in hand and disappeared through the back door. When she returned, she had a full mug and an apologetic expression on her face.
“I’m sorry. I don’t quite have the change to give you.” She said, looking unsure then produced a rusty ring from the folds in her apron and laid it on the table before him. The finger ornament was old beyond old, but it held a charm of its own with spiralling wires entangling around its edge, forming a rather delicate arrangement.
“I have this, though. It’s an old ring a customer once left here years ago. I’m not sure what it's worth, but I’d wager it's worth at least eighty coppers.”
Desmond eyed the item unsure of its worth then nodded his acceptance of the payment. She then dropped fifteen coppers into his hand and the ring.
You have gained an item.
Olden Ring of Time:
Rare item.
This ring was once used by a mage from a time long ago, lost to time itself.
This item starts a quest.
+2 intellect
+1 wisdom
+10 mana
Sell value: 12 silvers.
Quality: Rare.
Durability: 15/95.
As he eyed the ring, he fought against the urge to jump from his seat. This welcome treasure was far more welcome than what he thought possible. Placing it on his middle finger, he could feel the surge of magic run through his veins.
Excited, he glanced at his character sheet.
Character sheet: Ph0en1x [Title: Slime Hater]
Health points 47/47 Mana 52/66
(level five) EXP 27.30%
Class: PortalSmith
Stamina: 8
Strength: 7
Agility: 9
Wisdom: 11
Luck: 2
Charm: 9
Dexterity: 9
Intelligence: 18
Equipped items: Elvish village garb
Soul Wand
Olden Ring of Time
Location: Lowesome Village (Tavern)
General chat:
Beastman: Any news about finding that guy?
Yolkb4me: The Dev’s say he’s legit ☹
Lionfury: I can’t find this guy's wife near the Lowbee village crossroads... any clues?
Beastman: Yeah, I still call bs. That guy is soo cheating.
ThatDinosaurKid: Did you hear about the special chain quest that just popped up?
Stargirl: Chain quest? How much exp does it give?
ThatDinosaurKid: No idea, but apparently you need a special one-time use item and only one person can complete it. The forums are going nuts!
Yolkb4me: Why?
ThatDinosaurKid: No idea… But if only one player can finish it… it must be pretty awesome.
Stargirl: What's the item called?
ThatDinosaurKid: Um, gimmie a sec. Let me check the forums.
Stargirl: K
ThatDinosaurKid: The Pure orb of Purity.
Yolkb4me: What a stupid name…