Ten o'clock finally arrived.
The second act of "Ghost Hotel" began.
At this moment, Nathan, the female lead of the film, began her actions.
At 10:20 PM, the howling wind outside the hotel began to subside. Most people in the hotel had lost their enthusiasm for entertainment and had already retired for the night.
However, at this moment, Lingni was strolling through the hotel.
The third floor of the hotel had a large swimming pool, which closed at 9:00 PM. Naturally, there was no one there at this time. The pool was not locked, and the water had been disinfected. As Lingni walked along the pool, a strong smell of disinfectant filled her nostrils.
Lingni looked at the swimming pool, feeling a slight tension. She tightly gripped the bone bracelet on her wrist.
The curse within the bone bracelet was a small violin, a medium-difficulty curse item for a horror film.
It was important to note that all curse items shared a common trait: the "diminishing curse rule." This meant that the same curse item would lose its effectiveness with each use in the same horror film, reducing the time and distance required to drive away ghosts. This rule was closely related to the origin of the curse item and the difficulty level of the horror film in which it was used. If a medium-difficulty curse item was used in a low-difficulty horror film, like "Enclosed Room," Allen barely noticed any reduction in the effectiveness of the high heels. However, due to the blood porcelain curse causing the horror film's difficulty to rise sharply, and the curse item's inherent reduction, the curse item eventually became ineffective. Conversely, if a low-difficulty or medium-difficulty curse item was used in a high-difficulty horror film, the curse effect would be significantly reduced from the beginning, and the ghost might return within ten seconds. If the curse item and the horror film's difficulty were similar, the reduction would be less severe but still greater than in a low-difficulty horror film. In extreme cases, a top-tier difficulty curse item, like the ghost bone from "Ghost Ritual," used in "The Terrifying Bus," would barely show any reduction in effectiveness. Conversely, a low-difficulty curse item, like the soul-summoning incantation from "The Terrifying Bus," used in "The Nierthal Family," would have little effect, barely better than a worthless piece of paper!
However, if a top-tier difficulty horror film curse item was available, the film court would at least arrange for the actor to enter a medium-difficulty horror film, not a low-difficulty horror film to earn death tokens. There was no such good thing in the world.
Lingni's small violin would also experience a reduction in its curse effect over time, so she would use it with great caution. After all, it was better than having nothing. Lingni would do anything to survive, even at the cost of everything.
However, using the curse item twice still required a half-hour cooldown period. Although the bone bracelet could immediately suppress the curse when the curse item was put back, if the curse item was taken out during the cooldown period, the curse would completely resurge. At that point, even putting the curse item back would be ineffective. Therefore, the bone bracelet still required consideration of the cooldown period.
On the other side of the dark pool, another figure appeared.
Lingni looked up and saw the figure becoming clearer. The figure revealed itself to be Nathan, the female lead of the Hell's Thirteenth Degree Theater.
Nathan's mind was blank, with no thoughts at all.
"She... she is..." Lingni took two steps back, her gaze fixed on Nathan. She then saw something astonishing, as she had already known from the script.
Nathan removed her outer clothing and pants, leaving only her bra and panties. She then walked to the edge of the pool and dove in!
"This..." Lingni's expression was one of shock. She watched Nathan intently.
No... it should be said that it was Nathan, the female lead, "方思影."
Nathan swam in the water, like a graceful fish. She quickly crossed the pool and submerged herself, leaving only her toes above the water. She continued swimming at a fast pace.
Lingni sat down on the ground, gasping for breath.
"No... it's impossible... how could this be..."
Her acting was indeed impressive. She performed exceptionally well, clearly having honed her skills.
"Lin... Lin Lanxuan..."
Lingni said this name according to the script.
Nathan continued swimming, occasionally resurfacing, like performing a water ballet. Her movements changed continuously. Lingni watched in amazement.
Finally, Nathan climbed out of the pool. She picked up her clothes and disappeared into the darkness of another entrance.
Lingni, still in shock, watched Nathan swim away. She couldn't believe her eyes. Nathan was swimming with incredible speed and agility, performing various high-difficulty moves. Lingni was an excellent swimmer in reality, but she couldn't keep up with Nathan. Nathan never seemed to tire, continuously swimming without stopping.
Ten o'clock had finally arrived.
The second act of "The Haunted Hotel" was about to commence.
At this moment, Nathan, the film's leading lady Fang Siying, began to take action.
By ten twenty, the howling hurricane outside the hotel had slightly abated. Most guests had lost interest in entertainment and had retreated to their rooms early.
However, Long Ni'er was leisurely strolling through the hotel.
On the third floor, there was a large swimming pool, open until nine in the evening, and now, naturally, it was devoid of guests. Yet, it remained unlocked. The water had been disinfected, and as she walked alongside the pool, the strong scent of disinfectant filled her nostrils.
Long Ni'er gazed at the pool, a hint of anxiety flickering across her features as she clutched the bone bracelet tightly.
Inside this bracelet lay a cursed object—a small violin, classified as a curse of moderate difficulty for a horror film.
One crucial point must be emphasized: all cursed objects share a commonality known as the "Law of Diminishing Curses." This law states that the effectiveness of the same cursed object diminishes with each use in a given horror film; the duration and distance for expelling spirits gradually decrease. This principle is intricately linked to both the origin of the cursed object and the difficulty level of the horror film in which it is employed. For example, using a moderately difficult cursed object in a low-difficulty horror film, such as "The Confinement Room," might not reveal a noticeable reduction in effectiveness until the film's difficulty unexpectedly escalates due to a blood curse, resulting in the cursed object's ineffectiveness! Conversely, if a low or moderate difficulty cursed object is utilized in a high-difficulty horror film, the cursed effect would be minimal from the outset, perhaps only a few seconds would pass before the ghost would return. If the difficulty of the cursed object and the horror film are closely matched, there will still be a decrease in effectiveness, but the impact will not be as severe compared to a lower-difficulty film.
In summary, when a cursed object is first employed in a horror film, its effectiveness is at its peak; the second use will yield lesser results. For instance, the first use may expel a ghost for approximately half an hour; however, by the time that duration elapses, the scene would have concluded. Yet, as usage increases, it might only be able to banish a ghost for a mere ten seconds upon extraction! The degree of reduction is proportional to the disparity between the cursed object and the difficulty of the horror film; a greater gap results in a more significant reduction, while a smaller gap results in a lesser reduction. In extreme cases, employing a top-tier cursed object, such as the ghost bones from "Ghost Festival," in a high-difficulty film like "Horror Bus," would hardly exhibit any reduction at all. Conversely, using a low-difficulty cursed object, like the soul summoning talisman from "Horror Bus," in "The Nite-Lair Family" would likely yield results no better than a scrap of paper!
However, if one possesses a top-tier cursed object, the cinema will at least assign them to a medium-difficulty horror film, never allowing them to squander redemption tickets in a low-difficulty film. Such fortune does not exist.
Long Ni'er understood that the effectiveness of her small violin would similarly diminish over time, which is why she intended to use it cautiously. Nevertheless, it was better than having nothing at all. Above all, Long Ni'er was determined to survive, willing to go to any lengths to achieve that.
Of course, using a cursed object twice still required a cooldown period of thirty minutes. While the bone bracelet could immediately suppress the revived curse when the cursed object was returned, it was merely "suppressed." If the cursed object was extracted during the cooldown period, it would signify the complete revival of its curse, allowing any attached ghost or curse to fully resurrect in the horror film. In such a case, returning the cursed object would be futile; it would only be effective if returned before the curse showed signs of revival! Therefore, even with the bone bracelet, one still had to consider the cooldown time.
At the far end of the dark pool, another figure gradually emerged at a different entrance.
Long Ni'er lifted her gaze toward that direction.
The shadow became increasingly distinct, revealing its true form.
It was Nathan, portraying the lead character Fang Siying in the Thirteenth Circle of Hell Cinema.
At that moment, Nathan's mind was clouded, devoid of any coherent thoughts.
"She... she is..." Long Ni'er took a step back, her gaze fixated on Nathan. Suddenly, she witnessed an astonishing scene—one she had already known through the script.
Nathan began to remove her outer clothing and pants, ultimately leaving only her bra and underwear. She approached the pool and leaped into the water!
"This..." Long Ni'er's expression shifted to one of shock as she watched Nathan intently.
No... she should be referred to as Fang Siying.
Nathan glided through the water like a graceful fish. After swiftly traversing a lap around the pool, her entire body submerged, beginning to dive, with only her toes remaining on the surface as she swam at incredible speed.
Long Ni'er immediately slumped to the ground, gasping for breath.
"No... it's impossible. How can this be happening..."
One could not deny that her acting was remarkable, clearly indicating considerable experience and skill.
"Lin... Luanxuan..."
Long Ni'er uttered this name as scripted.
Meanwhile, Nathan continued to swim, occasionally surfacing, her movements reminiscent of synchronized swimming, her postures shifting fluidly. This transformation persisted, and Long Ni'er watched in awe.
Eventually, she too shed her outer clothing and dove into the pool, swimming toward Nathan.
Upon reaching Nathan's side, she realized... Nathan had been keeping her eyes closed! Moreover, her swimming speed was astonishingly fast; although Long Ni'er was an accomplished swimmer in reality, she could not keep pace! Ultimately, she gave up. Strangely, Nathan seemed to swim tirelessly, never pausing for breath—was she not fatigued at all?
In truth, although Nathan could swim, her skills paled in comparison to Long Ni'er's, as she only knew the breaststroke. Yet, at that moment, she was executing freestyle! Moreover, she performed numerous complex maneuvers in the water, leaving Long Ni'er astonished.
Finally, Nathan, still with her eyes closed, resurfaced, retrieved her clothes, and vanished into the darkness of the other entrance.