The Haunted Cinema

He had a strong sense that Bai Edith was quite the opposite of Donna—likely a person with excellent social connections.

Julian, noticing their presence, turned toward them and spoke, "Ah, you two must be Allen and Martin, correct? And what about the third one?"

"He's probably still asleep," Allen replied with a nod towards Julian. "He should be down shortly."

With that, the group gathered around, and aside from those like Donna and Job, who preferred solitude, everyone else focused their attention on Allen and Martin.

"Well then..." Julian began, "Could you share the details about this film? How did Charles and Delia meet their end? And... how did you manage to survive?"

Allen glanced at Martin, then began, "It goes like this... The horror film The Horror Bus centers around a tourist bus..."

"I know this part," Cheryl interrupted. "The movie's synopsis was already released when it was first promoted. It's about a bus that breaks down in a remote mountain area, with the male and female leads being university classmates..."

Julian quickly cut her off, "Don't interrupt, Cheryl. Let them finish."

Allen, unfazed, continued, recalling the terrifying experience: "After the bus broke down, I..."

As Allen recounted the details, with occasional input from Martin and Eamonn—who had also woken up and joined them—the rest of the group began to understand the full story behind the horror film.

"You fool!" Ivan suddenly pointed at Allen, his voice sharp. "Did you really think all those passengers were actors? Where would they find that many extras? Charles was an idiot too—didn't he realize that? A horror film that simple, how could there be so many minor characters?"

"Delia probably figured it out," Nathan, chin resting in his hand, pondered for a moment before speaking. "She must have suspected the passengers might be ghosts. But she was too overconfident, especially with the comb in her possession... Perhaps she was also trying to save some of her death redemption tickets for Ghost Festival 3."

Hank, who had been listening quietly, sighed deeply. "Isn't that the truth? Delia had everything going for her, except for her overconfidence. With her experience surviving Ghost Festival 2, she thought such an easy horror film would be a breeze. She probably saw it as just a warm-up before entering Ghost Festival 3. But it was precisely her overconfidence that led to..."

At this moment, Eamonn, looking confused, asked, "How was it so easy? Who knew about the stone tablet and the curses beforehand? What were we supposed to do if we didn't know?"

"It's indeed more challenging for newcomers like you," spoke George, a man wearing thick glasses. "Since you have no means of ensuring your survival. Of course, we, the seasoned actors, usually offer protection, but we won't interfere if you choose to act independently. For instance, Allen, your decision to leave the bus at the beginning was rather irrational. Under such circumstances, we wouldn't have intervened."

"Furthermore," Nathan added, "When Han Ruoyue disappeared, and you two went off to search for help, no one offered assistance. That should have tipped you off that something was amiss. Actors are supposed to act according to the script's logic; otherwise, it violates the plot's integrity, which would result in an NG. Even if no one actually helped, at least some token words of concern should have been offered. And the tour guide—didn't he say a word either?"

At the time, Allen had assumed that the actors were too afraid of the ghosts to dare intervene, so he hadn't thought much of it. But he asked, "Then why did Liu An's disappearance happen in the first place...?"

"Because the script required it," Julian responded, speaking for the first time. "I often encounter such situations. If a death redemption ticket is used to alter the course of the plot, then the narrative itself changes. But it's alright. You're new and inexperienced. When you suddenly become an actor in a real horror film, anyone would panic. When I first joined, I was completely at a loss. But at least your psychological resilience is commendable; you tried to remain calm in the face of danger."

Julian then turned his gaze to Martin. "And you, Miss Martin, to have risked so much to help a complete stranger at such a critical moment—perhaps you had your own reasons, but such courage is rare. We are a team, so the awareness of mutual support is crucial."

Upon hearing Julian's words, it was clear to everyone that he had a certain degree of admiration for the two of them, perhaps even the intention to nurture them further.

Julian continued, "Normally, we would provide promising new actors with cursed objects to increase their chances of survival in the horror films. However, with Ghost Festival 3 set to release soon, we cannot do that. After all..."

Allen immediately understood what Julian was implying. If they were to perish in the horror film, losing these cursed objects would make their chances of obtaining the crucial sheepskin scroll from Ghost Festival 3, which contained the curse's incantation, considerably more difficult. Of course, out of respect for their emotions, Julian refrained from saying more.

"Mr. Julian," Allen then asked, "About these cursed objects you mentioned..."

"Death's cursed objects," Julian answered, "are usually items haunted by vengeful spirits, or the key to the curse itself. In horror films, they often have fatal consequences. But if they're brought into the Ghost Cinema, they become completely safe. They can then be used in other films as a means of survival. Generally speaking, once used for more than a second, they will cost death redemption tickets, deducted from the actor's contracted wages."

Allen immediately protested, "Wait, so using one of these objects would mean losing all my pay? Doesn't that mean filming these horror movies would be pointless? We wouldn't earn a penny!"

"I'll explain," interjected Bai Edith, still smiling sweetly. "Actually, the basic wages are essentially out of reach. Changing the plot requires deductions, and using a cursed object also results in penalties. Therefore, accumulating death redemption tickets, advancing the storyline, and even risking deeper peril are the ways to gain more of them. If you simply avoid danger, you might survive, but your death redemption tickets will continue to be deducted, and eventually, you'll lose the ability to use cursed objects altogether."

Allen's eyes widened in realization.

His lack of death redemption tickets in The Horror Bus was largely due to his constant attempts to avoid danger. But as a new actor, without any means of survival, how could he not steer clear of danger?

"However," Bai Edith added, emphasizing her words, "Cursed objects are, after all, a double-edged sword. As the name suggests, these items carry curses. In horror films, the longer you use them, the more death redemption tickets you'll lose, and there's a risk that the curse will suddenly resurface. The risk is difficult to quantify, so we can't say what the probability is, but the rule is to avoid excessive use of cursed objects. Even my own spiritual sensitivity is dangerous. 'Spiritual sensitivity' sounds nice, but a more honest term would be 'evil spirit sensitivity.' One wrong move, and I could die a much worse death than any of you."

"Don't speak like that, Edith," Julian said, his brow furrowing slightly. "I believe such a thing will never happen."

At that moment, Martin glanced at Bai Edith and spoke, "For every gain, there is an equal loss. To have the ability to survive in a horror film comes at a very steep price."

Bai Edith nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Even so, I do not regret acquiring this ability. It greatly increases the survival rate of actors in our Hell's Thirteenth Degree Cinema. The Fourth Forbidden Zone is a horror film with an exceptionally high mortality rate and immense difficulty. Usually, multiple cinemas select actors for it. To acquire this ability is truly a stroke of luck for all of us. I am willing to bear the risk for it; it is a small price to pay."

From her words, Allen could sense the profound bond these actors shared from their collective experience of life and death. This made him feel a strong sense of belonging, as he himself was a person who valued loyalty and friendship deeply, cherishing both family and companions. He silently swore to himself that, from this day forward, he would fight alongside them and ensure that they all made it out of the Ghost Cinema alive!

At that moment, Martin's voice broke through his thoughts. "Generally speaking, what is the frequency at which films are released in the cinema? How often does an actor perform in a film?"

Julian immediately replied, "It depends on the situation. Typically, there are at least two films per week, and up to five. There are even times when two films are released simultaneously. However, the frequency with which a particular actor appears in a film is more difficult to predict. It depends on the actor's compatibility with the role. If a suitable role is found, it is not uncommon for an actor to appear in two films within a week. New actors generally need to appear in at least three films before they have a chance at leading roles. And the lead roles are usually divided into male and female leads. Multiple lead roles are rare. If a lead survives in a high-difficulty horror film and the curse remains intact, there is the possibility of sequels being filmed."

Allen then asked, "Can every horror film provide a cursed object from the dead?"

"Not necessarily," Julian answered firmly. "Not every horror film will have one. If an actor already possesses multiple cursed objects and has the ability to protect newcomers, it is possible that no cursed objects will be provided. By the way, not every horror film includes newcomers. Some horror films are too difficult to risk bringing in new actors, or if the number of actors in the cinema has reached its limit, no more newcomers will be added."

"And what do you mean by this 'limit'?"

"You must have noticed. The accommodation area can hold a maximum of twenty rooms. Each of the twenty Ghost Cinemas can have no more than twenty actors. Of course, if any actors die, replacements can be added."

At the mention of dead actors, Julian lowered his head, a shadow of sorrow clouding his expression.

Thinking of those who had perished, he felt a deep, unbearable sadness.

The atmosphere grew heavy, and some of the others began to wipe away tears.

"Alright, enough said," Julian clenched his fists and said with a determined, resolute voice. "The dead cannot be brought back, no matter what. We... we can only focus on improving our abilities and doing everything we can to minimize the sacrifice of our comrades!"