Coin Blitz: JustDigi

"How cute..." the voice says. A portal tears open, displaying the mailbag. "Your 'friend' Digi claims that he wishes for your mutilation; and yet, when he has the perfect opportunity to enact it, he refuses to do so. What's more, I expect he will continue to refuse to admit he actually cares for you. Instead, he will say you are to take this as a warning... Pretending not to care. How infuriatingly human."

The voice waits for the mailbag to run its course, then snaps. The chain holding Melody disappears in a flash of light and she begins falling. She expects to feel dozens of spikes, but instead reality itself warps and she finds herself once again strapped to the roulette wheel. Diana is nowhere to be seen.

"You've completed the trials of courage and wisdom, so I suppose you deserve some small praise. But you won't complete them all." The wheel kicks into motion as the voice continues to taunt her. "You see, it's just a matter of time before Digi loses confidence in you, grows bored, or impatient... And abandons you to live here, with me, at my mercy..." The wheel grinds to a halt, nearly stopping on red, when a force nudges the wheel to green. Melody feels dizzy. "Oh, courage again. But you've already completed it. Guess we'll have to spin again!" The wheel is launched more violently than before. "Where was I? Oh, yes. Why should he care about some copy of a copy when the true Melody is safe in her room, practicing her harp? He'll abandon you to remain here, forever at my mercy... forever in despair! Oh, such fun we'll have together!"

The wheel slows to a stop on purple. Melody feels ready to vomit.
"The test of skill. Do you think this is the moment he leaves you?"

---

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

Current Winnings: 8 Coins
Next Mission: Complete the Trial of Skill for 16 Coins
Difficulty: ****** (Hard)
Continue?
>Yes
>No

If a disembodied voice could smirk...  "A test of your musical ability?  Oh, we're a bit past that sort of thing.  No, we'll be testing your skills as a shrine maiden... I hope, for Diana's sake, it's not just an act."  A snap rings out, and Melody expects to open her eyes to find herself tied to a chair or chained to a pole or something...

And is surprised to find herself completely unbound.  She's standing in front of a haunted house.  "This is the fun house!  A wonderful maze of monsters, magic, and traps galore!  You may have passed the trials of courage and wisdom, but what value do they have without the skill to use them?"

Melody notices her bow and a full quiver of arrows are sitting nearby, but...  Her injuries haven't healed, nor have her sandals been returned.  Most pressingly, Diana's nowhere to be seen.  "You notice your superior isn't here, hm?  You've been the damsel in distress so much, I thought it would be fun to at least give you the chance to switch it up.  One of you will be trapped, locked away in this mansion.  The victim you choose may be able to free themself and provide some small support, but...  In the end, they'll be relying on the other to save them.  The trial is complete when - if - the victim escapes alive.

"Now, Melody...  You have a very important decision to make.  Are you going to play the hero and rush to Diana's aid?  Or will you offer yourself and rely on her to save you?  Haha...  A hero or a sacrifice.  Which do you think is more befitting a shrine maiden such as yourself, my sweet Melody?"

Eh... Before going any further. On a scale of 1 to 10, how brutal do you want it, Mr. Gore and Mutilation? For reference, call the last trial... about a 3.5.

(I'm actually asking for the sake of deciding content... Like, for a 6, no iron maiden traps or the like.)

"My bait? Oh, no, no, my brave Melody. I was actually hoping you'd volunteer as the victim so I could give you a preview of what you have to look forward to for the rest of eternity after you fail the trial. I wouldn't lay a hand on Diana..." Melody tries to ignore the voice as best as possible as she advances into the mansion.

Melody checks the door for traps, then carefully pushes it open. She easily sidesteps as a crescent blade flies through the doorway, passing through where her head had been. The checks again, then cautiously advances into the main hallway.

There's several large pillars - it's a rather opulent mansion. She can see a grand staircase on the far side of the long hall. It seems to lead to a 2nd floor landing. There are four doors, two on either side of the hallway.

"Before you run off and get yourself killed, I have an offer for you. I'll give you one more opportunity to trade places with your partner. Sure, you'll spend the entirety of the trial being tortured, but... As an incentive, I'll fully heal both you and your partner and throw in a map of a floor of your choice," the voice says invitingly.

"Don't listen to him, Melody," a new, different voice whispers into Melody's ear. "Keep heart, help is coming... For now, this is the best we can do." Melody notices a change in her quiver.

Melody received 3 each: Grapple arrows, Net arrows, Fire arrows, Lightning arrows, Ice arrows.

The normal voice returns. "Oh, right, I forgot to mention. Whether you take my offer or not, and regardless of who falls, I'll revive you and Diana a total of... 3 times. Are there any other rules, anything else I'm forgetting...? Hm. Nope! Go ahead and pick which door to start with, or the stairs. Or, if you'd like to take me up on my offer, just head back out the front door..."

(Oh, good, I would've had to do a lot of rebalancing if you'd actually taken the offer)

Melody walks up to the forward-left door. The musty floor creaks loudly underfoot as she creeps forward, leaving obvious prints in the thick layer of dust. At least she'll be able to tell where she's been easily enough. Melody peers around each pillar as she moves forward.
She pushes open the door, watching for a trap to spring. Nothing happens.

Inside is the kitchen. A serving tray is laden with a fresh, delicious-looking meal complete with fresh fruits and vegetables ringing around a stuffed turkey. There's no sign of traps in the room. There's one door out on the opposite side.

---

Diana is still unconscious.

Melody shoots herself in the foot. It really hurts.

Melody fires an arrow at the turkey. Nothing happens for a second, then a drawer right underneath the turkey shoots out at gut level. It hits its maximum reach and a springloaded array of knives pop out and stab about where Melody would have been if she'd walked up and touched the turkey. A few seconds later, the cabinet above the turkey opens and a green, gelatinous ooze spills out and onto the floor near the same spot.

Melody looks for any other suspicious targets and fires arrows at them. They bounce off the stove and refrigerator. Nothing happens.