The houses victims were gathered around a coffin. Within the coffin were boxes, enough for everyone. Because nothing made hauntings and possessions more fun than guns. To his fogy memory, a possession seemed likely. They stared at Melchior as he walked towards the fireplace. His wound continued to spill blood down his assault vest. Rize's love taps were slow to close.

"Hey buddy, you don't look so good. What could have cut through a bullet proof vest?" Melchior looked down and sure enough there was a slash through his body armor and t-shirt. Rize had done a number on him. The wound was healing quickly in a few minutes he'd be fully healed. For now, blood oozed from the wound soaking his pants. It made him unsteady on his feet.

"I'll be fine, it wasn't cut very deep. I'm just cold." Melchior said. He knew the cold sensation was from a loss of blood.

"Hey guy my name is Donald I'm a doctor. Let me look." Donald, Evelyn's lover said. Melchior raised his hand stopping the doctor. A reassuring smile covered his face.

"I'm not going to die from a snapped tension wire. My name is Melchior and I'm what you could call a government spook." Melchior said.

"Does that mean the US government recognizes the existence of ghosts?"

"You're Watson Pritchett the building's owner. No, the government does not formally recognize the existence of incorporeal beings. Supposed hauntings such as this house isn't recognized, and no one is officially coming."

"Steven what is this nonsense is it part of the game?" By this point the bleeding had finally stopped. Melchior let out a sigh of relief and took off his helmet. Once his ruined body armor and shirt was off, he put on a new pair.

"Shouldn't you get that treated. I thought someone was unofficially coming." Donald said.

"The nanites have already taken care of it. I doubt I'll even scar." He turned to Evelyn Price. "This isn't a game. Unofficially, this house is very haunted. Most of the men we didn't officially send in were slaughtered. We greatly underestimated the level of haunting. This place had a rating of Delta priority. It was on the list but not very high. Then the invitations went out and researchers died." Melchior smiled; this was more fun than he expected. He wasn't sure if they were fully enthralled or not. Hopefully, he could keep them close at hand.

"What a load of nonsense? There is no such thing as ghosts. Melchior you're an ok actor but," Edward was cut off when a gun went off. Melchior had just put his vest on when the bullet slammed into him. He barely moved as the vest distributed the force. Their eyes were off him and, on the Evelyn, when he moved. He snatched the gun from Evelyn's hand and pocketed it. "The government is thankful for your generous contribution Evelyn Price. Now hand over your guns or I'll take them."

"No man we aren't giving you our weapons. Even if you're bullshit is true," Edward was cut off by a blow from Melchior. It wasn't a powerful blow and it didn't kill. Edward collapsed to the ground his gone in Melchior's hand. Sara pointed her gun at his head but before she could cock the gun, he pushed it up. He lifted gun up picking her up with it. Her arms gave out quickly and he took another gun.

The rest gave up their weapons. "Why are you doing this?" Steven Price asked. He paced back in forth frustrated.

"This will keep you from shooting each other. Now then, do you want me to lift the iron shutter and let all of you out. Oh, and where is the monitoring room." Melchior turned his head seeing the shoddy wiring. "I'll find it never mind."

"What you can just lift that huge hunk of iron?" Donald asked astonished.

"Ok say what you're saying is true. That would explain how my guest list was changed. But why, this house was apparently safe for unofficial government researchers. Why didn't the owner know about them?" Steven said looking at Watson.

"I made it a point never to come here unless necessary. I wouldn't have noticed. So, superman can you really do it? Melchior glared at the multi ton iron shutters. By doing this, he deprived the house of victims.

"I believe I can. Unless this house can supernaturally make them heavier than normal." Melchior muttered.

"Don't go Sara what if this is just a trick to keep us from getting the million dollars." Edward said.

"I will drag you kicking and screaming to safety if I must. When I'm done, I'll find the maintenance man and save him. When all of you are out. I'll find the source of the haunting and destroy it. If necessary, I'll burn this place to the ground. It wouldn't be the first time." The flames in the fireplace shot up and the house shook.

"None can leave house on haunted hill." The house shrieked, and the fire went out. The lights quickly joined it. Melchior grabbed some glow sticks from his inventory and cracked them. Everyone looked shaken even Steven Price. Evelyn looked to her husband then back to Melchior.

"This is real!" She screamed as the darkness began to swallow up the light. They began to rush towards the exit when the darkness emerged. It held the face of the head surgeon of the mental asylum.

"None can escape from house on haunted hill. The doctor is in." The dark melding of angry souls whispered.

Melchior turned his head. As frightening as it looked his heartbeat was calm. "Don't look back just wait by the door. I'll be there soon." Melchior said. He turned and used Bulk UP. His body grew much stronger. Muscles bulged forming an armor all their own. He gained some height and his bones hardened to new levels. Even his joints functioned better.

He used shotgun in the ghost doctor's face but force damage had no effect. Then his fist touched the ghost. He felt a cold sensation then the ghost's head was knocked back. Even the ghost looked surprised. This fight was far from over.

"When I'm done with all of you. You'll beg for hell just to get away from me." Melchior didn't wait for a reply, he started punching. Every blow carried with it the force of life from his star seed. His fists glowed, and he felt nuclear light flow easily through his body. This was the star seed sprouting. Every blow chipped away at the vengeful ghosts. They broke away weakening the creature's hold over the house. Instead of letting them flee Melchior punched them. The game hungrily snatched them up before they could get away.

Star Seed lv10

Light Heal lv12

Solar lv5

Solar lv8

Solar lv10 +50WIS +20INT +10END

Skill Unlocked: Arora

Arora lv1 (novice) +1HP Regen x lv/sec; cost 100MP/min

New Perk

Great Wisdom x2 mana regen and x2 healing spells.

Melchior Nimrod lv63

Brawler lv53+106STR +159END +53DEX

Solar lv10 +50WIS +20INT +10END

HP 7,720(+164/min)

MP 450 (+132/min)

STR 162

END 202

DEX 82

INT 45

WIS 66

CHA 14

LUK 20

"No, we want our revenge on those who escaped and had lives." Its words were paused. Melchior's hands were wrapped around the ghost's head. The black façade of a face had a foci. A single skull. Light began to cover the skull as light heal worked its slow magic. He couldn't use its full power but a small amount at a steady rate was enough. Cracks appeared across the blackened skull until, he crushed it. The ghosts couldn't escape, the game devoured them before they could disperse throughout the house.

The house froze, and the lights turned back on. The iron shutters rose again, and the people ran for their lives. That tied everything up rather nicely. Melchior followed the wires to the control room. The tech guy's head had been drilled through by one of the ghosts.

Quest

Slay the Soul Eater

Complete

Reward: Key to floor 2

Bonus: class upgrade crystals x2

He made his way to one of the shutters in the attic. Nothing in the house bothered him. It seemed the remaining souls in the house were terrified. He pointed to one of the iron shutters. "Let it down." The house complied and slowly lowered one of the metal shutters. Melchior caught the shutter and nodded. He could lift it, but it was damn heavy. "Hold," He ordered and downed 12 eggs. He placed the shutter on his shoulders and started squatting it.

END has increased by 6 thanks to an extraneous workout

STR has increased by 6 thanks to heavy lifting

END has increased by 6 thanks to an extraneous workout

STR has increased by 6 thanks to heavy lifting

END has increased by 3 thanks to an obsessive workout

STR has increased by 3 thanks to moderate lifting

END has increased by 1 thanks to a tedious workout

STR has increased by 1 thanks to a light lifting

END 218

STR 178

It wasn't as much as he wanted. Now that he had the house bent over a barrel, he was tempted to force it to build him a gym. Melchior wasn't foolish enough to tempt fate. The second the house had a chance it would kill him. It would be better to leave for now. He pushed his hand forward then a new quest appeared.

Quest

Seeker of Obedience.

Thoroughly break the house's spirit

Reach Obedience (60/100)

Find and capture the Idol in the Basement.

Shatter every spirit that gets in your way.

Reward It will be Safe to use House on Haunted Hill as a gym.

Bonus +3CHA for every 100ghosts slain

"Don't worry house, I know you still have some resistance to my rule. I'll beat that from you quickly." Melchior muttered and made his way down the stairs. Ghost ladies covered the halls naked appearing youthful and alive.

"Would the master enjoy a bath with us? Melchior grabbed the ghost by the throat and lifted it up. When this house truly bows before my might. Then sure, until then." Melchior tossed the ghost aside letting it phase through the walls to safety. Mad doctors leapt at him as he activated Arora.

Light covered his body in a cone of healing nuclear light. To him it would regen 2HP every second. For the ghost's it was like acid. If they struck their ghostly shapes melted away. Random knives flew only to bounce off his Bulk Up reinforced flesh. What little damage they did was healed in moments. Arora was a powerful skill.

The stairs were gone revealing a chasm beneath. The eyes of hundreds of ghosts looked back at him. Shadows twisted, and visions played through his mind. Each showed him helpless and tortured by the doctors, the inmates, or his own madness.

In a flash, he was a patient. He was strapped to a chair awaiting the doctor's electroshock therapy. "Mr. Nimrod are you ready for treatment."

"I will enjoy swallowing your soul." Melchior said.

"Now Mr. Nimrod we will cure you of your delusions, I promise." None of the illusions felt real to him. There were always details missing. The sky out the window was utterly black. The ghost didn't remember what the sky looked like any longer. They had been trapped the the house catacombs for too long.

"I subjugate your reality with my own." Melchior yelled in challenge. Light erupted form his form melting away the landscape in a nuclear explosion.

He was back in his body. The hundreds of spirits were waiting ripe for the plunder. When something bared his way, he punched through it. Iron, wood, and rock didn't make a difference.

House Obedience +5 (35/100)

"House Drain the water, I want to go forward."

Obedience Check (needed 30 have 35) +4 Obedience (39/100)

He patted the walls. "That is a good house. Thank you for obeying me." Melchior said even as mad souls disintegrated before Arora.

Arora lv12

Solar lv15 +75WIS +30INT

New Perk

Great Intelligence x2 mana & x2 MAG DMG (magic damage)

Nuclear Haven lv1 (Novice); 1 x lv +WIS/2; cost 200MP/min; Localized healing zone.

Arora and Nuclear Haven were both useless against ghouls. They would take a ghouls healing factor and increase it. He needed some death magic to counter the healing factors of opponents. If they couldn't heal then his Solar skills wouldn't benefit them. He also needed a way to defend against such skills in return. Combat was complicated.

The head doctor of this place jump cut at him. One moment he was walking down the hallway the next the doctor was slicing and dicing. The doctor's hand melted off before the second cut and by the fourth the blade was dropped. The doctor reached with his other hand to rip Melchior's face off. Instead Melchior reached out and snatched the doctor's head. With a squeeze and nuclear light, he popped it like a grape. The game didn't absorb the ghost instead it vanished.

Such a soul can only be taken from its Soul Jar

"Hey game, great job on the quests today. I've had a lot of fun." Melchior said.

No need to thank me it's what I do. Now break the houses spirit and feed more more souls.

Game affection +7 (11/100) Rocky Relationship

Solar lv18 +90WIS + 36INT +18END

Super Wisdom x4 mana regen & x4 healing magic

He made his way to a locked door. "House open this door." Melchior ordered. The door didn't budge. Melchior punched through several rooms and shattered several the houses support beams.

The door opened.

House Obedience +10 (49/100) Terrified

Pseudo Lich Dr. Vannacutt lv300

Title: Mad Doctor; Demon Worshipper

MP 150k(+500k/min)

Class Doctor lv100; Priest lv100; ghost lv100

Strongest Stat INT

Ability: Intangible

He immediately established this location as a Nuclear Haven. His Arora was already active. The Lich touched him, and he was instantly paralyzed. The Lich wanted revenge. Killing me quickly would be a waste.

Nuclear Haven lv10

Nuclear Haven lv15

Nuclear Haven lv21

Nuclear Haven lv25 (Intermediate) 2 x lv + WIS

The Lich froze as it started to lose nearly 2000MP every second. Mana was life to a Lich. Melchior couldn't beat it not really. It reached into his chest and prepared to rip out his heart. When something shattered. Melchior had gambled that the Lich would keep its soul jar close at hand. Instead of defending himself when he first entered, he located the Lich's soul jar and set up Nuclear Haven. He couldn't kill the lich with it. His soul Jar was different. It was what anchored the Lich to this place. Arora activated burning the Lich's hand to the elbow.

It was another weakness of the imperfect Lich. A flaw in the design. The doctor's mana centered in its chest leaving its extremities undefended. It had cost the Lich its revenge.

The game latched on to the lich before it could fade and devoured it.

House Obedience +20 (69/100) My Butt is lubed for you.

Melchior turned his back on the Idol of Baphomet. It looked like an interesting collectable, but it was essentially the battery of his gym. "House prepare the attic with two iron shutters ready for bench pressing." Melchior ordered.

House Obedience +2 (71/100) Ready to Get Fucked

He'd almost died there. If he had fought that battle fairly, he would have. That idol was an impressive mana well. He placed a hand on it and the house shook.

Idol Subjugated.

+5 Affection with the game (15/100)

Quest

Seeker of Obedience Complete

Reward: The house will not betray you in gym form

Bonus ghost destroyed 401 +12CHA

CHA 26

He made his way up through the house. The ghosts scurried out of his way. Ghosts were working tirelessly putting the house back into order. In the waiting room there was a pool table, more comfortable couches, and even a 1999 big screen TV. Melchior nodded his head. "House prepare a gym in the attic. I desire to increase my physical strength further." Immediately, the house used its connection to the internet to research gyms. Work was quickly done upstairs. He only had to wait a few hours.

He wasted little time beginning his workout.

Gains +15STR +15END

Melchior Nimrod lv63

Brawler lv53+106STR +159END +53DEX

Solar lv30+150WIS +60INT +30END

HP 7,720(+164/min)

MP 1,700 (+664/min)

STR 193

END 253

DEX 82

INT 85

WIS 166

CHA 26

LUK 20