Yisong surveyed the people before him. They, along with the "Manager," were all actors from Hell's Tenth Degree Cinema! And Yisong... was none other than Hiram from Hell's Seventh Degree Cinema!
Hiram had long since purchased intelligence on the renowned actors of Hell's Tenth Degree Cinema using redemption tickets. The man with the smoky makeup was Ada, a highly experienced actor from Hell's Tenth Degree. The woman wrapped in bandages was Laurence, whose concealed face was rumored to be terrifying, revealing only her eyes. The towering figure, standing at least two meters tall, was Arthur, nicknamed "Iron Giant" for his imposing height and formidable presence.
The "Manager" was none other than Mick, whose identity as "the Man's" right-hand man was well-known. Mick, Ada, Laurence, and Arthur were all illustrious figures within Hell's Tenth Degree Cinema. Ada, like Hiram, possessed spiritual medium abilities, while Laurence remained an enigma, with no one knowing what lay beneath her bandages.
"Manager," Ada paused, announcing, "We've found a clue."
Looking ahead, they saw Arthur holding a middle-aged man in his forties. Due to Arthur's towering height, Hiram had almost overlooked the man.
"He is the night security guard who still works here," Ada explained coldly. "Mr. Zhang Taixiang, tell us everything you witnessed that night!"
The middle-aged man, an NPC, trembled at the sight of Arthur's height and was further intimidated upon learning Mick's character was such a significant figure. He quickly recounted, "Mr. Manager, it was like this... That night, while patrolling, I heard strange noises around here. Then, I came over..."
Suddenly, the man's eyes widened, and he clutched his neck, collapsing to the ground, convulsing violently. For a long moment, he couldn't speak.
Before Hiram could react, Ada swiftly stepped forward, brandishing a dagger. With a swift slash through the air, blood appeared on the blade, splattering across Ada's face.
Mick moved even faster, touching the white bracelet on his wrist and producing a needle, which he stabbed into the spot where the blood had appeared. His expression shifted slightly, then he withdrew his hand.
"It's gone."
The terrified security guard wet himself, too frightened to speak after witnessing this eerie scene. According to the script, he should have died already, but Mick and Ada had intervened to save him.
As Mick put away the needle, Hiram felt a jolt of realization. The needle, made from the bones of the dead and infused with vengeful spirits' blood, could track their movements precisely, making them impossible to evade. While spiritual mediums could locate ghosts, frequent use led to fainting. This bone needle, however, avoided that issue and could detect targets up to ten kilometers away, far surpassing the usual range of a few hundred meters.
This intelligence had been verified firsthand; it lived up to its reputation!
"No matter," Ada handed the knife to Mick, who smeared the blood onto the bone needle, revealing a satisfied expression. Placing the needle flat on his palm, it spun like a compass, pointing toward a specific location.
"Move out!"
Mick took the lead, with Hiram and the others following closely.
An hour later, the film reached its critical final moments. Despite triggering his spiritual medium abilities again, Hiram was struggling to endure. The cost in redemption tickets had also become substantial.
Everyone descended into the depths of the elevator shaft, where the stench of decay permeated the darkness. Among them, the sixteen-year-old girl had vanished into the shadows, having survived until the last moment without any cursed objects—an impressive feat for a new actor.
In the darkness, the foul odor intensified. Though invisible, Hiram's spiritual medium instincts quickly detected something. Like a hunter waiting for prey to step into a trap, he didn't act hastily; once he did, it had to be decisive.
Suddenly, he heard the sound of fabric tearing. It was Laurence unwrapping the bandages covering her face!
A flash of fire illuminated the darkness, revealing Mick stabbing a needle into the skull of a decomposed corpse—the remains of the dead woman. The bone needle pierced through the skull effortlessly, revealing a horrifying face.
Was that... Laurence?
She had once been beautiful, but now, a decaying, greenish face grew on her left cheek, writhing and spreading necrotic flesh. The ghostly visage seemed to bulge outward continuously, reminiscent of Junji Ito's grotesque creation, Tomie, who could infinitely replicate herself.
Closer inspection revealed smaller, identical decaying faces emerging from the spreading necrotic tissue, growing larger by the moment.
Was this... the legendary ghost-seeding technique of "the Man"?
Laurence rewrapped her face in bandages, suppressing the growth of the ghostly faces. The sight left Hiram utterly horrified. What kind of people were in Hell's Tenth Degree Cinema? Only Job from Hell's Thirteenth Degree Cinema could rival her in power!
"Is it over?" Laurence asked, her face completely covered again.
"No," Mick responded grimly, his bone needle still embedded in the corpse's skull. "Not yet."
He swiftly pulled out the needle, his face momentarily darkening before returning to normal. He then produced another cursed object from Hell.
Hiram wasn't surprised; he knew Hell's Tenth Degree Cinema frequently acquired multiple cursed objects at high prices. But when he saw the object—a bundle of black hair tied with a rubber band—he couldn't help but feel alarmed.
Quickly masking his reaction, he watched as Mick placed the hair on the skull. Instantly, the hair began to grow rapidly, spreading throughout the skeleton.
Hiram began to understand.
Suddenly, the lighter's flame went out, and Mick shouted, "Quick! Get down!"
Hiram instinctively triggered his spiritual medium abilities, sensing extreme danger, and promptly lost consciousness.
When he awoke, he found himself back above ground. Mick looked at him with relief, saying, "It's all over."
"Over?"
"The ghost can no longer escape from the elevator shaft."
Thinking about the rapidly growing black hair, Hiram understood somewhat.
At that moment, Hiram sent a trade request to Mick, hoping to buy the black hair and offering a generous price. However, Mick promptly declined.
What method Mick used to seal the ghost in the elevator shaft remained unknown, but the pallor of his face, resembling a corpse, suggested he had paid a significant price.
Despite this, Hiram felt a deep sense of dread. Hell's Tenth Degree Cinema possessed techniques far superior to theirs.
And Mick was merely "the Man's" confidant. How powerful must "the Man" himself be?
Regardless, it was clear they must never offend them. This conclusion was certain.
Back in their own cinema, time flew by, marking the end of the film.
"The movie is over!"
They rushed into the screening room, finding only three people inside. All eyes turned to Hiram.
"Hiram!"
Everyone called out his name, rushing towards him.
Hiram gripped the cinema seat tightly, taking a deep breath, and murmured, "Truly terrifying. The actors from Hell's Tenth Degree Cinema..."
A long-haired man approached Hiram and asked, "How was your meeting with Mick? He's reputed to be 'the Man's' right-hand man, quite extraordinary, isn't he?"
"As expected," Hiram gave a high appraisal. "Though his face is as pale as a woman's, his methods are exceptionally frightening. It's hard to imagine how terrifying 'the Man' must be."
Everyone fell silent, contemplating Hiram's words.
"Under no circumstances should we offend Hell's Tenth Degree Cinema!" Hiram affirmed his conviction. "From now on, we must enforce this rule with all new actors. Even if an actor from Hell's Tenth Degree dies before us, we must not take their cursed objects. We cannot flee before them in dire situations. Anyone who violates this rule will not be protected by us!"
Closing his eyes briefly, he whispered, "Julian, you were more foresighted than me on this matter."