Yu Xin was aware of the script and naturally knew what would transpire next. However, once the scene unfolded before him, the camera swiftly shifted to the upstairs conversations between Yang Tieyan and Wu Yinchun, alongside Yan Junxiong and Fang Siying. Following this, Yu Xin's character, Zhao Wenlong, completely vanished from the narrative, never to reappear. The only silver lining was that, due to his limited screen time, his remuneration was relatively modest, resulting in fewer redemption tickets being deducted for using cursed objects.
At this moment, the actors from the Thirteenth Circle of Hell Cinema gathered, providing Yu Xin with a measure of comfort. He understood that relying solely on himself might be somewhat overwhelming.
Suddenly, Yu Xin pointed ahead in horror. "Wha… what is that?"
The power outage in the parking lot began to spread rapidly. Nearby parking spaces followed suit, plunging into darkness, creating a chain reaction that surged toward Yu Xin and Allen!
Allen felt a slight pang of anxiety, but with Edith nearby, he felt a sense of security. Although this would inevitably result in fewer redemption tickets, he adhered to the team spirit Edith had mentioned, preferring to collaborate with the other actors for safety rather than take on the role of a lone wolf; after all, a person's life is singular, and he could not afford to gamble with it!
Soon, the area affected by the blackout was reduced to fewer than five parking spaces away. Over half of the parking lot had succumbed to total darkness. Yu Xin's hands trembled as he pressed down on the accelerator, speeding away!
Allen gripped the bone bracelet tightly; should any trouble arise, he would swiftly extract the high-heeled shoes! To him, 650 redemption tickets was not a significant sum. Saving Yu Xin's life would undoubtedly yield a greater return in tickets!
However, the darkness progressed with increasing speed. Although Yu Xin had pressed the accelerator and started the car, the lights above him extinguished as well. Suddenly, the surroundings were engulfed in darkness! Yu Xin immediately attempted to turn on the headlights, only to discover that they would not illuminate! Then… the car inexplicably failed to start!
Panic surged through him as he yanked open the car door, glancing back while clutching the bracelet. Allen, too, exited the vehicle at that moment.
What unfolded next was entirely absent from the script. Thus, Yu Xin had no idea what would happen next. However, because he possessed the bone bracelet, he was unafraid of the curse's revival and could use it for twenty seconds. But timing was crucial; if he mishandled it, the ghost might reappear after twenty seconds, and he could find himself unjustly doomed.
As for Allen, he felt differently; he was aware that Edith was providing him with remote protection at all times, so he was not overly concerned. Her mediumistic abilities did not adhere to a thirty-minute cooldown; once activated, any spirit would fall under her mental surveillance. If the ghost intended to kill, she might sense its approach and generate a warning beforehand. Edith had already arranged with Allen that should she detect a ghost nearing him, she would send a signal through the script, inquiring whether he wished to accept her protection. Of course, this was not to genuinely compel Allen to accept her aid but to give him a prompt, allowing him a chance to use his redemption tickets. If that was insufficient, Edith would step in to assist him. It could be said that Allen had taken every precaution.
At this moment, in the pitch-blackness where visibility was virtually nonexistent, Allen could see nothing. However, he remained calm, as Edith had yet to relay any messages. Meanwhile, Yu Xin was losing his patience and felt compelled to extract his cursed object. The enveloping darkness was indeed disconcerting.
The underground parking lot of the Youteli Grand Hotel was expansive, boasting nearly a hundred parking spaces. In such a vast area plunged into darkness, the atmosphere was undeniably terrifying. Yu Xin could no longer withstand the pressure and prepared to retrieve his cursed object.
Just then, he felt a cold gust of wind sweep through the area, and simultaneously, Allen's mind was flooded with Edith's instructions!
Allen and Yu Xin nearly simultaneously retrieved their cursed objects!
The moment Allen extracted the high-heeled shoes, he felt as though his hands were drenched in blood! This was a precursor to the curse's revival! Startled, Allen swiftly returned the high-heeled shoes to the bone bracelet! As for Yu Xin, he pulled out... a severed head!
Only the bone bracelet could contain such a cursed object. As soon as the head was retrieved, its eyes snapped open, glowing red! Then, it promptly closed again!
Yu Xin staggered back in terror; the head's eyes had opened only for a fleeting moment! He had known that his cursed object was somewhat weaker, but because he had noticed Edith following him, he felt reassured, knowing she was lurking nearby. Witnessing such a situation, he gritted his teeth and returned the head to the bracelet, then fled!
In the current predicament, Allen had no choice but to retreat!
At that moment, Edith was nearby, next to another parking space. In the enveloping darkness, her mediumistic awareness remained undiminished. She sensed a profoundly terrifying presence just five meters in front of Allen and Yu Xin, causing her heart to race.
However, she need not worry; as Allen retrieved the cursed object, she sensed it as well, but he quickly returned it. Understanding something was amiss, she activated her mediumistic abilities, focusing on the source of that dreadful aura!
At that instant, she felt her body tremble violently, leaving her momentarily dizzy!
Edith immediately realized that the lingering effects of her spiritual abilities from "New Neighbor" had not yet dissipated. In "New Neighbor," she had frequently used her spiritual abilities and consumed many talismans. This extensive use had severely damaged her spiritual abilities. In essence, it was a case of harming the enemy while also harming oneself. Although many days had passed, she should have recovered by now. However, what mattered most was the final moments of the film, when she would utilize the remaining blood on the door of the neighboring house to maximize the release of her spiritual abilities. At that time, she was already at a point where she should not have continued using her spiritual abilities. According to the curse diminishing rule, the farther along in the film, the weaker the effect of her spiritual abilities in driving away ghosts. However, she had remotely triggered her spiritual blood to seal the door, which was already quite risky. Therefore, the backlash she suffered was far greater than expected.
Originally, Edith's next horror film was "Return" in August, but due to Wu Zhaotian's death, she had to replace him in "Ghost Hotel." Now, the damage to her spiritual abilities from "New Neighbor" had not yet fully recovered. Although she could still use her spiritual abilities, their effectiveness against ghosts was significantly reduced. She could only temporarily ward off the ghosts, and even that was pushing her limits. She felt dizzy and disoriented.
Edith had rarely pushed her spiritual abilities to this extent before, so she had underestimated her recovery time. The current situation was unexpected. The terrifying aura she had sensed was temporarily distant, but it would not last long.
She rushed out, hearing Allen and Remy approaching her in the darkness.
"Severin! Quick, you must run!" Edith had already deduced that Allen's curse item had malfunctioned. The only one who could save him now was herself. She had received the bone bracelets from Lingni, so she couldn't let the Hell's Eighth Degree Theater actors down. She gripped her hands tightly and stepped forward, using her spiritual awareness to sense the surroundings.
Suddenly, a hand grabbed Edith's arm tightly.
It was Allen's hand.
"Run with me, Edith!"
For Allen, how could he run away and let a woman protect him? He would never do such a thing.
He held onto Edith's arm tightly and pulled her towards the direction of the elevator in his memory.
At this moment, he could not take out the high heels. He had to wait another thirty minutes. However, with Edith by his side, he felt confident.
Edith's head was spinning, so she could only let Allen lead her. The dizziness also affected her spiritual awareness, making it harder to pinpoint the exact location of the terrifying aura. The ghost was approaching, but she couldn't determine its exact position without leaving her blood behind.
Allen was getting closer to the elevator. He couldn't sense the ghost, and he wasn't the main character, so the script couldn't grant him any sixth sense. However, he instinctively felt a sense of dread.
Finally, they reached the elevator, but it was too dark to see the buttons. His phone was also dead due to the power outage. Edith quickly felt for the elevator buttons, as she had adapted to navigating in the dark from her frequent experiences in horror films.
However, when she looked up, she saw that the elevator was stuck on the seventeenth floor and wasn't moving down. The only elevator in the underground parking lot was this one, and the car elevator and emergency exit were in another location. Running to them would be like running straight into the ghost.
Edith looked back, realizing that she had underestimated the severity of her spiritual abilities' damage. She had planned to team up with Allen to save Remy and earn some death tokens, and she had also received the bone bracelets from Lingni as a favor. However, the situation had escalated to this point.
She couldn't pinpoint the exact location of the terrifying aura. The ghost was indeed approaching, but in her weakened state, using her spiritual abilities to sense it would be ineffective. She would need to use blood talismans to enhance the precision of her sensing.
However, the elevator was still not descending.
Finally, Allen saw the elevator moving.
17...
16...
15...
But it was moving very slowly.
Edith supported her body, trying to make her sensing as precise as possible before triggering her spiritual abilities.
Of course, even in the worst-case scenario, as long as she didn't lose consciousness, she wouldn't die. But Allen... he might die here.