Of course this was the ONLY way [Delilah + Rayne]

Delilah pouts as she stared at the board. She barely made it through the first room before the timer declared her lost and thrown her all the way back to the start. She didn’t know this obstacle course was that hard! Her partner apologised to her briefly before logging off completely, very much done with the whole game for the day.

She was just wondering around the area when she stumbled onto this house. It looked like a cosy normal cottage, at most three levels tall, with many vines covering the walls and balcony. Players gathered around the entrance, some even setting up healing tents. Which of course made her immediately run in and try to heal as many players as possible, it almost drained her stock of health potion dry. During the time she got the gist of the house mechanics.

It is a weekly dungeon that give out prizes for the one who got to the top of the ranking, which was whoever that could get to the top level of the house without dying. However the dungeon house was bigger on the inside – so much bigger. Not to mention each room was convoluted obstacle course that was filled with challenges and maybe traps. Many people couldn’t get through to the second floor at all, so the ranking board outside have only just been updating every spot up to number two with the furthest room they managed.

Normally Delilah wouldn’t care, she was just not competitive by nature. Until someone showed her the picture of the prize, it was only then she decided to give this dungeon a good honest try. The pet is so cute and she wanted it, but this obstacle course requires a partner. So now all she could do was to sit in front of the house, tending to the injured, while waiting for someone to accept her party invite be her partner for this dungeon.

There was a little-known place, a house in fact, in this particular area which was known to be practically impossible to get through. It looked unobtrusive from the outside, but Rayne had been informed by sources that she trusted that there was a pretty decent reward for coming out the other side. What she was most interested in however was that those that made it to the third floor had their names posted on the monthly board.

Really though it wasn't the glory that lured her in. It was the thought of a good challenge. Something that she could run at headlong and maybe beat. A big maybe considering how many had failed before her, but that was just part of the lure.

Which was how she found herself just outside the house looking at the people milling around with interest. Most were ranged fighters like herself, which made sense considering that the house was geared toward that kind of challenge. There were a few others that she couldn't determine the class of, but guessing someone's class was always a bit of a shot in the dark unless you saw a weapon handy.

Rayne waltzed up to the door and she was stopped immediately by an NPC, a butler whom nodded politely to her. "You can not enter without an ally to aid you in your endeavor to rid this house of its haunting."

Haunted. She sighed and then the rest of the sentence caught up to her and her eyes widened in dismay. "You mean I need someone to come in with me? You've gotta be kidding me! Where am I supposed to find someone?" She groused angrily and vented her frustration at the NPC who looked at her placidly as though he got yelled at all the time.

Delilah did not look up as a newcomer came into the front yard, more focusing on using bandages on the poor ranger who got his arm broken in there. There was always a steady stream of players coming in to challenge the house so she couldn’t really be bothered. It was only when she heard yelling that she looked up. A tall woman was shouting at the poor butler! Sure he is an NPC and having no actual heart to break, and the fact he was definitely some sort of ghost with the slight transparency and all that. It was still mean and she has to diffuse that anger somehow.

So she jumped up quickly and skipped over to the pair. Lightly Delilah tapped the woman’s shoulder. “Ummm... Miss? There is a board right there that list all the current players available to partner.”

She pointed to the board to the side of the door. Papers covered almost every inch of the wooden board. Most of which were glowing red, an indication the original poster went offline, some of them were in yellow showing that they got a pair and currently challenging the house. It even shows the time that they have spent in the house already. There was only one note that was in green, and it was Delilah’s. It wasn’t surprising to her.

If people look at her gear they would very quickly think the girl prioritised the look of the equipment more than their stats. Only the more astute player would have noted her clothing was optimised for high healing and buff ranges. This meant only a few players was willing to partner up with her, and even those that did were not powerful enough either. Some were actually too weak and were just curious so they take her and immediately bail the moment they saw the first obstacle course.

She wondered briefly if this lady would take her to try the dungeon. She looked powerful enough. Tall, dark and so very muscular. She probably is some sort of melee fighter. Even if she isn’t, she looked so cool with the red hair and armour. Delilah took a few more moments looking at her, adoring her cool look. It may be not her thing, but she still can appreciate it.

In spite of her angry words Rayne didn't really want a partner. What she wanted was for this challenge to be something that she could do alone. Playing well with others was not one of her strong points and more often than not playing with someone else ended badly. She'd only found a few players that she didn't immediately wish she could put a bullet into.

Speaking of... “Ummm... Miss? There is a board right there that list all the current players available to partner.”

Rayne glanced toward the board and frowned at all the red listings. She wasn't sure that it was worth it if she had to team up with someone. Particularly if she had to wait all day. "Yea. thanks." She hardly sounded as though she meant it, and without another word she stalked toward the board and searched through the various listings. The only person online currently was a player named 'Delilah'.

Which was... the girl that she'd just been talking to.

From the short distance that lay between them Rayne stared at the girl, slowly realizing that the girl was staring back at her. Uncomfortable with the attention Rayne shifted her feet and scowled. The girl was wearing a fluffy blue dress, and looked honestly like she was preparing to go out to some kind of tea party rather than kill some monsters or go through a haunted house. Firmly Rayne reminded herself that looks could be deceiving. Just because the girl looked like she was totally incapable didn't mean that she was.

Rubbing her forehead Rayne took a calming breath and walked back over to where Delilah was standing. "So. It looks like you're the only one online right now. Do you still want to go through the house?"

Watching the woman went to the team board made Delilah feel a little bad. She really wasn’t a good first choice for anyone in her opinion. Still that doesn’t mean she wouldn’t do everything she can to help through the dungeon. She even replenished her stock of potions. Two of each buff potion and all the health potions she was allowed to carry in. It doesn’t feel like a lot, but apparently the spirits in there doesn’t like potions all that much and would rot any extra that was brought in.

It didn’t take too long before the lady walked back to her. Seemingly defeated by the circumstances and absolutely loathe the idea of pairing with her but Delilah’s brain jumped passed that and she was already hopping on the spot in excitement. “YES! YES! Thank you for taking me! I have been trying this dungeon all day!”

Her success flitted from clearing the first floor to literally getting kicked out at the first room. She has a gut feeling that this time it would be much better. Without further adu, she send over the party invite then grabbed her hand in a firm grip and waved to the butler who still waited patiently in front of the door.

“Mr Butler. I got a partner again! Can we go in?” she asked cheerfully. “Oh yeah! My name is Delilah. How would you like me to call you?”

Soon the counter begin to run over head – in the form of cute floaty skeleton hands counting with its finger – they would be teleported in to the foyer.

“YES! YES! Thank you for taking me! I have been trying this dungeon all day!”

Well. That boded well.

The sarcastic thought wasn't very kind to the girl that had accepted her in a far more friendly manner than she deserved. If it had been her, she'd have told herself to stuff it where the sun didn't shine. As it was she felt horribly embarrassed by her own reactions, and took it as a reason to try and behave a little more nicely. At least to Delilah, who seemed one of those ultra-friendly sorts that always drove her a bit up the wall. There was just something about someone who always seemed happy that made her want to destroy something.

Rayne accepted the party invitation with a wane smile and followed dutifully in Delilah's wake as the girl went up to the front door of the house and started chatting up the NPC as if he actually mattered. The gunslinger was so engrossed in ignoring the conversation that she actually missed Delilah introducing herself until the girl asked what she preferred to be called. "Oh, I'm Rayne."

It was a simple introduction and she offered her hand to Delilah, uncertain if the girl would even shake it. As long as it wasn't one of those limp-wristed handshakes... Those gave her the most uncomfortable sensation of not knowing what to do with the other person's hand.

There were only a few more seconds, and then they were allowed to step through the front door and into the room beyond. The room they entered into was a simple enough one. It looked exactly as a foyer should look really. A little stand beside the door for umbrellas and coats, wood paneled everything leading into the next room that was through a doorway. The unassuming setting immediately put Rayne on edge and she drew one of her weapons carefully from its holster.

Snack didn't make a noise, and Rayne stepped carefully toward the doorway. "So, have you been in here before by any chance?" Any information the girl had about what lay ahead could be valuable if she'd been through any part of this place before.

Delilah shook her hand in a firm grip. Just as the skeleton hand counted down to zero and grabbed the two players and send them zoom into the same room. They were deposited into the foyer. The place becoming too familiar to Delilah, she even waved to the skeleton hand as they faded back into the portraits to the side of the door.

Rayne seemed to be nervous, getting out the weapon immediately. Delilah didn’t take hers out. She know she won’t be needing her spell until they cleared the first room.

"So, have you been in here before by any chance?"

“Nope I just stumble in to this place this morning while I was gathering herbs.” Delilah said. “The foyer is relatively safe if you do not try to touch any coats and don’t have any prohibited item in your inventory.” Just as she was explaining that, the light above them flickered, briefly showing them dark shadowy creatures with tendrils. Delilah stood still,  Then everything snapped back to the normal.

Delilah have her cheeks puffed up, waving her arms at the ceiling, “I counted them, I did not bring extra potion!” Some of her past partners have brought in extra potion or prohibited buff potion, only for it to be confiscated until the end of the dungeon. She doesn’t understand why no one asked the butler for rules or just follow those rules. It didn’t take too long either, not to her anyway. So she walked to the end of the foyer where there are dark markings on the wooden floorboards. She pointed towards the ceiling.

“So for the stairs to the next floor to unlock we need to clear each room with the time assigned to them. Any extra time from a room can be used in one other room only.” She explained and pointed towards the pocket watch on each of the door. All of them have a different time on them. “I know this one is a floor is lava room.” She points to the one that was labelled main living room. Then she pointed at the one that says gallery, “this is a monster room. I tend to have a little trouble with it.” Because everything was so cute to her. “And this one is the dining hall, where you have to find the key while dodging some stuff. I dunno about that one.” She points at the one with no label on the door. “It seemed to shift and come and goes as it please, since last time I saw it that door was on the second floor.”

She turned back to Rayne. “So which do you want to try first? The timer start when we enter the room.”

For a moments the lights flickered, showing a multitude of dark shadows which loomed about the room that Delilah had just declared safe. Rayne let out a sharp curse and pointed her weapon at one of them only for them to flicker out of existence again a moment later. Utterly harmless because she of course, had read the rules before even coming here and didn't usually carry much besides her weapons anyways.

Now, the girl replied that she hadn't been here before, and then began to describe what it was like. Rayne lifted her free left hand and rubbed her forehead with it. She had a sneaking suspicion that today was going to be a long day. A fact which seemed inevitable once Delilah actually started describing the rooms. In fact she was determined that she was going to give the person that had mentioned this little place to her a piece of her mind when she had the chance to do so.

A lava room, a monster room, a room in which you had to find a key, and one that moved around as it liked. Delilah indicated that the monster room was a challenge to her, but to Rayne it sounded like the easiest of the four options given that the last room could be anything.

“So which do you want to try first? The timer start when we enter the room.”

"Great." She didn't mean the word at all. Yet, that did leave the question of which door she wanted to take, and apparently she didn't have long to decide. "Lets hit the monster room first. It might be hard but we'll have to do it sooner or later."

With that she went to the appropriate door, noticing that Delilah seemed a bit passive about the whole thing. As if she didn't really mind which direction they went. Rayne wasn't sure it boded particularly well for their mission. The door opened and Rayne walked through into the room beyond.

She honestly hoped for the other room first, because it was something not combative and she wouldn’t have to pull out her wand that soon. However knowing that last time they were fairly overwhelmed, she couldn’t at least be prepared. With a sigh she equipped her wand and lined up her explosive potions. Despite knowing what’s behind the door it doesn’t make anything easier.

They walked through the door together. It’s a long straight narrow corridor with very high walls. Chandeliers swing lazily above head, casting just enough light into the room for them to not trip over the carpet, but definitely not enough to let them see the end of the corridor. Along the walls were paintings, it lined the whole corridor and all the way to the ceiling. None of them were the same size, shape and some were even covered with ragged curtains. Behind them the door vanished, replaced with a coloured seal with a crude drawing of the pocket watch outside. The time begins.

The closest painting started to rattle. An old men with fancy coat started to come closer from his original sitting position. In complete predictability, the man crawled out of the painting. They also deformed instantly into some grotesque body horror monster with decaying limbs and glowing yellow eyes.

“Why does the game keep forcing me to hurt cute stuff all the time?!” She wailed, but nonetheless run forward, dodging down the first swipe from the decaying claws as she smacked them back into the painting with melee attack. Another one come up from the other side of the room and began reaching out for the shaman. Some curtains rustles as demonic bugs flew out and began to circle around them, not attacking yet, but Delilah know the truth.

“Try to take down as many bug as you can!” she shouted. “Mid way they will start to knock big fancy portraits down and I don’t wanna hurt those ones.”

Not just because those ones are HARD to kill.

Beyond the doorway was a room that looked more like a hall than anything else. It was lined with portrait paintings. Creepy, portrait paintings. The sort that give you the impression that the eyes are following you wherever you go. Except that these ones had eyes that really did track her as she entered the room.

The time began immediately, and the first image started to crawl forth from its frame into the hallway. Delilah let loose a sad cry that made Rayne blink several times, certain that her ears had gone wrong on her. Cute? These things?

The horrifically ugly painting got what it deserved as the girl smacked it back into its painting and Rayne moved forward on Delilah's heels, glad to see that she had some spunk in her. Bugs came pouring out into the room and on reflex Rayne started shooting them. The last thing she wanted was to get bitten by the blasted things - they were huge!

Her impulse served her well it seemed, because Delilah called out something about the bugs knocking the pictures over. Rayne nodded once to herself and kept firing at the insects, keeping them off of herself, the pictures, and Delilah as best she could. "I'll take care of the bugs then, and you keep those pictures at bay!" Needless to say she'd stay on Delilah's heels come hell or high water. "I've got your six."

Just in case it did need saying.