A cursed artifact, once activated, generally possesses the power to banish spiritual entities. However, its efficacy largely depends on its screen time and the inherent potency of its curse. The prolonged usage of such items invariably increases the risk of curse resurrection - an inevitability if employed extensively. Should such a circumstance arise, this horror film would undoubtedly descend into an inescapable predicament. Thus, temporal management remains paramount.
Nevertheless, even with extended duration, precisely gauging the period during which spirits remain at bay proves challenging. While actors typically assess an artifact's potency through its origin film, even identical items can yield inconsistent results. The effects might persist for fifteen minutes or perhaps even approach half an hour, yet occasionally may last mere minutes. Fortunately, given that supernatural assaults rarely occur in continuous succession due to narrative constraints, even brief protection often proves sufficient for survival.
However, we now approach the film's denouement! The high heels and severed finger have proven utterly ineffective against this malevolent spirit! Though the conclusion draws near, how long can this blood porcelain vessel maintain its protection? Each usage demands a thirty-minute interval, and Hank's substantial protagonist salary severely limits his remaining uses to merely two before exceeding the overdraft threshold!
In the desolate villa, the final three performers - Allen, Hank, and Ouyang Zuping - gather in the living room, illuminated solely by candlelight. Hank vigilantly monitors the wall clock. Ten minutes remain until 1:45 AM, before the blood porcelain's "cooldown period" expires!
At any moment, the vengeful spirit could materialize!
Despite numerous inquiries to Ouyang Zuping, the novice actor's knowledge extends no further than his script lines, leaving him ignorant of his family's history. The Ouyang family's arrival isn't expected until midnight. By then, they'll either perish here or return to the Thirteenth Level Cinema of Hell!
Hank clenches his fists, confronting an unprecedented situation. His previous possession of two cursed artifacts - a strategic advantage known only to Julian and White Edith - had ensured his survival through cooldown periods. Now, this advantage has vanished, further complicated by his protagonist's high salary and corresponding death redemption costs!
What options remain when the moment arrives?
Logically, with two hours until the film's conclusion, Hank's protagonist status should ensure his survival until the final moment. Yet this guarantee no longer stands absolute. With the original script altered, death could claim him at any instant! Though Zhang Hua and Ouyang Zuping still live, suggesting Liu Haiping wouldn't be the first to fall, how long can he endure?
Similarly, Allen contemplates potential solutions to their dire predicament. Had Cheryl survived, with only three young casualties, hope might remain. But now... it's futile. Perhaps if everyone had assisted Ivan during his perilous moment, he might have survived. Liu Ying and Wu Jun, novice actors who separated from their experienced colleagues to accompany Zhao Xiaoya, effectively sealed their fate. Notably, Zhao Xiaoya was absent from view during each death! Had he recognized and prevented this pattern earlier, their current circumstances might differ significantly.
One misstep led to a cascade of errors. Four young lives have been claimed: Ivan, Liu Ying, Wu Jun, and Cheryl! Their deaths transformed Zhao Xiaoya into a vengeful spirit through the blood porcelain's curse!
At this critical juncture, what options remain?
How can they endure?
Hank glances again at the wall clock - 12:40 AM! Just five minutes until the porcelain vessel can be utilized again!
Though gripped by extreme tension, Hank maintains a façade of composure, attempting to reassure Allen and Ouyang Zuping: "We'll survive this, I'm certain of it!" Yet his perspiring brow, trembling hands, and pallid complexion betray the hollowness of his words.
Allen realizes his character, Zhang Hua, likely stands as the spirit's primary target before Hank. His only chance of survival lies in remaining close to Hank.
Suddenly, the candlelight flickers ominously! Allen's candle extinguishes instantly, followed by Ouyang Zuping's!
As Hank reaches for a fresh candle, a cold wind whispers past his ear, snuffing out his flame!
In that fleeting moment of darkness, Allen turns to find malevolent, hatred-filled eyes mere inches from his neck!
Hank instinctively rolls from the sofa, hurling a coffee table behind it! Amid the chaos, Ouyang Zuping's blood-curdling screams pierce the darkness: "Help! Someone help me!"
Allen and Hank stumble through the darkness, colliding with furniture while Ouyang Zuping's agonized cries grow increasingly desperate!
The script has deviated - Ouyang Zuping wasn't meant to perish now. But such concerns have become irrelevant.
Five minutes... just five minutes until the cooldown expires!
Suddenly, a script prompt materializes in Hank's mind: "Actor Allen requests to borrow the cursed artifact: Blood Porcelain Vessel. Offered price: 50 death redemption tickets."
Understanding dawns on Hank - temporarily transferring ownership would allow Allen to utilize the vessel. Though 50 tickets represents a fraction of its worth, survival takes precedence. He immediately accepts, setting the lease term until the film's conclusion, trusting Allen's judgment as their fates are now intertwined.
The transaction concludes in mere seconds. Hank swiftly passes the vessel to Allen, the temporary transfer of ownership circumventing the cooldown restriction. He silently commends Allen's quick thinking.
As the vessel changes hands, Ouyang Zuping's screams abruptly cease.
He gasped heavily, bracing himself against the wall as he struggled to his feet. At that moment, the candle was relit, and Hank, having found a lighter in the kitchen, walked over.
"Are you alright?" Hank asked with concern, holding the candle to illuminate Ouyang Zuping's face.
"I...I...I'm fine," Ouyang Zuping stammered.
In truth, he was utterly terrified, to the point of losing control of his bladder—his pants were already soaked through. As it was summer, he wore short sleeves indoors, and under the flickering glow of the candlelight, a vivid red handprint was plainly visible on his arm, with each finger clearly defined.
By now, the porcelain bottle had been slipped into Allen's pocket. The moment he proposed the leasing agreement, he had already bitten into his own finger. After receiving the bottle, he swiftly let his blood drip onto it. His movements were precise and rapid. Ouyang Zuping's body had been dragged to the wall by then—had Allen been just one second later, they might have been staring at his corpse instead.
Once the cooldown period ended, Allen could annul the lease at any time and transfer ownership of the porcelain bottle back to Hank, allowing Hank to use it again.
"I...I thought I was going to die..." Ouyang Zuping's voice trembled. His soul felt as though it had been ripped from his body. He had believed his role was the safest, never imagining he would come so close to death.
Afterward, everyone settled back into their seats. The living room, which connected to multiple corridors, was spacious and offered convenient escape routes. For that reason, they decided to stay put.
As the clock struck 12:15, the immediate danger seemed to have passed, and for the first time, Hank glimpsed a faint ray of hope for survival.
As for Allen, he began tallying the costs: the high heels had consumed 150 Redemption Tickets, the lease itself cost another 50, and the porcelain bottle—due to its exceptional significance in this horror movie—had required a staggering 300 Redemption Tickets, equivalent to the pay for two films. Altogether, it came to 500 Redemption Tickets, leaving him with a deficit of -135.
However, in the critical moment, saving Ouyang Zuping had also meant saving Hank and, by extension, himself. This act of heroism earned him 900 Redemption Tickets. Balancing the gains and losses, he ended up with a net positive of 765 Redemption Tickets.
Still, each use of the porcelain bottle deducted 300 Redemption Tickets, meaning it could only be used sparingly. Fortunately, he and Hank could take turns using it.
But could things really go so smoothly?
Could they truly endure until the end of this film?