Chapter Text
The villa attacked. The stairs moved further away attemptin to make a never ending hallway. Pitch black hand manifested from the wall, ceiling, and floor. Reaching and grabbing for anything that moves. As if trying to pull apart the occupants. And Danny laughed.
The female ghost moved closer to him taking shelter from the onslaught of appendages. Her fingers trembling in fear as she grabbed onto his shirt hem.
With a farel grin he let his ice spread further. Relishing in the freedom his powers had regained. They had only been chained for a couple hours, but it was still too long.
The ice rushed out along the floor freezing anything withen a six foot radias. The hall quickly changed from a nightmare of wriggling flailing black masses into a still blue green sculpture forest. Creepy but ultimately harmless.
Leaning down Danny grabbed an unconscious Fang Jian by the suit jacket and flung him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. The man didn't even flinch as his feet slammed into the ground. The hight difference causing is legs to drag.
Just as Danny was going to speak a high pitched scream echoed from the stairs. “H-help, who can s-save me-”
Danny's eyes widened before sprinted down the hall. Fang Jian had lied. There was still another human in the house.
[ Warning. Anomaly is moving. Recommend leaving the instance. ]
Iced hands shattered ahead of him clearing a path. As his frost zoomed down the hallway making sure to coat the entire second story.
[Warning. Second story lost. ]
Reaching the stairs he saw Ren Hui clutching the banister for dear life. Tears running down her face as she stared in confusion at the frozen blue green hands. Hands that had no doubt been pulling her before Danny froze them.
“W-what?” She pulled her leg free shattering the thwarted appendage. Then she turned paling further as she locked eyes with Danny. “But your dead.” She whispered.
“Only half.” He retorted cracking a fang filled grin. The joke never not being funny no matter how much his fraid may groan.
Ren Hui slowly backed up. Her hands clutching her sleeves in fright.“How are you here? You can't be here.” She glanced around frantically her fear rising. “Is this what the system meant when it said former companions would also be hunting us?”
Danny chuckled amused by the concept. “No those are weird painting puppets that look like the people who died. They weren't really our companions.” Anyone who believes that a ghost would form so quickly after death was obviously niave.
“Then how are you here? The female ghost killed you! There's no way for a new player to escape once caught.” Her eyes roamed Danny's form before landing on his hand. A hand that had been dragging Fang Jian behind while sprinting down the hall.
“Where you two working together? Did the two of you plan to sacrificing us to the ghosts? I watched Fang Jian shove Luo Kong into an evil spirit to escape. I already know we are nothing to you.” she said icily. “I bet your not even a new player? It would explain how relaxed you have been through this whole thing.”
“Wow no, hey. What is it with you people and deciding I lied.” Honestly what would Danny even gain by lying? In fact Danny has not lied even once since entering this messed up ‘game’.
Ren Hui sniffed in disbelief before turning. “Right, and this ice just happened to appear? Only pro players have such powerful props.” She galanced around at the hundreds of frozen hands with a shudder before turning back. “Let's just focus on getting out. The instance is basically over. We just need to leave the villa and then this nightmare will end.”
The two looked down at the ground floor scanning the scene. The front door stood wide open as if taunting them with escape. While the room was filled with suit clad puppet zombies. Their eyeless faces staring at them as if waiting for them to decend.
“We are never going to make it out.” Ren Hui said in despair. “This instance is impossible. What F level? This is more like B.”
Danny turned in confusion. Are the instances rated? It would make sense if they were, but who would willingly enter a death game? Why rate them?
The female ghost reappeared at his side. Her hand still holding onto his hem making Ren Hui freeze. “... Are you leaving?”
“Yes.” Danny said while looking down at the crowed of souless corpses. “This isn't my haunt. I need to go back.”
With a sad nod the female ghost faded slightly. “... Will you take me with you?” Her voice was rough as if trying to hold in her emotions.
Danny turned to focus on the ghost. The only real one he has meant in this place. “I would be delighted to take you with me.”
“You can't!” Ren Hui burst out from the side. Apparently deciding the ghost wouldn't harm her. “You can't take the female ghost. She is part of the instance. It is impossible to bring things out unless they are a prop.”
“... You do not speak to the King that way.” The female ghost rasped out. Her form turning more solid in her anger.
“King?” Ren Hui whispered in fear. “You are a ghost king?"She backed up further until she was at the edge of the step. "Are you the instance boss? The system said it was released. Did you hide amongst us to make it easeir to kill?"
“What? No, I didn't hide with you guys or anything. I was literally dragged here.” Why does everyone here try to make him a bad guy? “I am just as confused as everyone else.”
The female ghost cooed trying to console her king. The sound soothing to Danny just as much as it was haunting to Ren Hui.
With a huff he turned back to the first floor. “Let's just focus on getting you and Fang Jian out of here.”
There were several ways Danny could deal with a hoard of Zombies. Some fun and some quick. It would also be great to rub in Tucks face that he got to fight a real Zombie hoard. However after that conversation he wasn't really up for any long lasting battles in front of the human.
So he just walked forward. Letting his ice coat the way. The Zombies rushed the stairs as if by numbers alone they could overwhelm him.
[Warning. Anomaly entering the first floor. ]
Behind him he could hear Ren Hui suck in a breath as she mouthed the word Anomaly. Having apparently missed the other announcement or not linking the Anomaly and Danny.
As the fist Zombie touched the edge of the ice it froze. Limbs refusing to move as it was quickly encased. The others stopped, showing some form of thought, before trying to rush him again.
It was the definition of insanity to try something you know will fail over and over again. Though it wasn't a suprise since they weren't really conscious to begin with. More a body run entirely on a preprogrammed set of instincts.
Danny advanced unhindered. Ren Hui and the female ghost following along behind. Anytime he stepped too close to a popsicle zombie it would shatter opening up a path for him to walk.
It took him a mere two minutes to reach the door and that was only because he walked. Ren Hui quickly shuffled passed him through the doorway exiting the villa. Her body quickly disipearing in a strange light sequence.
“Huh, well it looks like you just have to pass through the door.” With a shrug he lifted Fang Jian off his back and chucked him. The man flew through the front door before landing heavily on the cold muddy ground.
“...Does he need to be awake to be magic girled away?” He asked the female ghost. Only for her to tilt her head. Danny looked around the room before breaking off an arm of a nearby ice sculpture.
Eyeing the distance he chucked the arm beaning the Fang Jian in the head. They waited for a response only for the man to remain still. "Did I hit him too hard? Your only supposed to stay unconscious for like a minute unless you have severe brain trama."
The female ghost just hummed before throwing what appeared to be frozen fingers at the man. A small smile on her face as each one landed with a satisfying thunk.
Danny grabbed some more ammo to throw while aiming at some less venerable areas. "Yo, Fang Jian!" He called hoping the combination of yelling and blunt force trama would wake the man. "Hey man wake up?"
One of his projectiles was knocked out of the air as a somehow straightened intestine was slammed down on the man's stomach. A soft oof leaving him as the air was knocked out of his lungs.
Danny turned to see the female ghost crouched down holding one end as she brought it up and down with force. Pained groans filling the air. Her smile softening with each successful hit. Leaning closer he could hear her mumbling about revange for trying to murder the King.
Yeah, Danny wasn't going to touch that. Plus it was pulling a reaction from the man so whatever. He hurled what he thinks is a lung aiming for his hand only for the organ to be batted directly into Fang Jian's crotch.
With a scream of pain the man shot up clutching his nethers and dislodging the surprising amount of gore they had managed to yeet at him. Slowly as if reluctant the light show reappeared sweeping Fang Jian away while he was curled into the fetal position crying.