In his previous life, Leon wasn't just some bookworm obsessed with research. He had his own interests and hobbies - he just didn't have much time for them.
During long experiment waiting periods, he'd watch movies in the lab to kill time.
Film was an art form in itself, and in Leon's view, some movies had real depth that helped expand his thinking when watched thoughtfully...
Sci-fi was his favorite genre, though he rarely watched horror films.
It wasn't fear that kept him away - he just wasn't particularly interested in supernatural entities that science couldn't readily explain.
He considered them mere products of human fears combined with real creatures... not really worth watching.
The film " The Haunting".
Leon vaguely remembered reading a brief introduction and review of " The Haunting " while writing film reviews online.
[A horror film made by a rookie director on a tiny 70,000 budget, including 20,000 in medical bills when the lead actor got injured during filming... yet it somehow managed to outshine big-budget thrillers costing millions. It won several awards but ran into trouble just before its release. Makes you wonder if the production itself got haunted.]
Leon had been quite curious at the time and tried searching for it, but found almost no resources about "The Haunting " online - it was even harder to track down than those sketchy videos people hide in their browser's incognito mode .
While searching, he discovered that "The Haunting", which was scheduled for release, had suddenly been pulled... apparently due to some strange incidents.
One of the more significant incidents occurred at the Hong Kong International Film Festival.
During the screening, a female viewer became so disturbed that she started running frantically around the theater, suffering some kind of mental breakdown.
Leon theorized that since the film was shot in a pseudo-documentary style, it could resonate deeply with viewers. This woman might have witnessed similar scenes in her childhood, causing her to become completely immersed in the film and fall into 'panic.'
Unable to find the film at the time, and with his experiment's interval ending - requiring him to immediately separate bacterial cultures - Leon had forgotten about the movie.
"Just my luck - if I'd watched that film back then, our survival chances would be way better now. I only remember it was shot in a pseudo-documentary style... about two college students who go to a village to film a documentary about mystic readings, and encounter supernatural events during filming.
That's all I know. An Evil Spirit event... looks like we'll really encounter supernatural entities that science can't explain. Three days. If we can survive that long, we can become 'Returners' like the Knights mentioned.
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
From what we know so far, the death rate is extremely high. One wrong decision could lead us down a path of no return. Time to get serious and cherish this life."
It was impossible not to feel tense.
Any living being, when facing an unstoppable unknown entity, would naturally feel that primal emotion of fear rushing forth... though different people had different tolerance levels and reactions to fear.
Having experienced death once already, Leon could suppress his inner terror to a great degree.
...
The six-person squad.
Besides their changed outfits, each team member was equipped with a handheld camera, student ID, and 500 in cash.
Of course, they all still had their clockwork devices on their wrists, now reset to countdown the full 72 hours of their three-day limit
Moving together, they quickly reached a courtyard filled with local villagers.
"Hey, look! Even foreigners are coming for Old Lady Wang's mystic readings... now that's something to brag about for our village! "
Leon asked in Chinese, his foreign accent still noticeable despite his fluency.
They learned this was indeed Old Lady Wang's home, and these people were all waiting in line for mystic readings... however, Old Lady Wang wasn't home at the moment, as she had gone to perform mystic readings at someone's home in the eastern village.
Upon hearing this, the group quickly headed to Li Ba Village in the east, finding the house where Old Lady Wang was working.
The ritual was entering its final stage
An eerie red paper talisman figure was placed at the doorway, while 'Old Lady Wang' stirred a bowl of charm water with her finger, having a sickly-looking woman drink it.
Leon quietly spoke to their captain: "Murray, we have half an hour left to establish contact with Old Lady Wang. Out of respect, let's wait until she finishes the ritual before approaching her... I need to use the bathroom, I'll be right back."
"Alright, go ahead."
The village had many public outhouses.
Of course, Leon's real purpose wasn't to use the bathroom - he wanted to use this time before the event officially began to investigate something extremely important concerning himself.
Leon went to a small shop and first checked the calendar to confirm the current date - November 5th, 2015.
"Excuse me, how much does the public phone cost?"
"...Just use it, no charge." The shopkeeper's wife had never seen a foreigner in this rural area before, so she didn't mind losing a few cents.
"Thank you."
"Your chinese is even more standard than mine, that's really something!"
Leon smiled politely and picked up the landline receiver.
Just as the receiver approached his ear, a piercing sound exploded in his mind, making his head feel like it was about to split open.
『Direct or indirect communication with the outside world via communication devices is prohibited in the event scene.』
"Could've said that earlier..." Leon muttered with a wry smile.
Actually, he had been trying to find a system loophole through the phone.
He'd planned to call his friends from his previous life to confirm whether this movie world was the same as his previous world. Even if it wasn't... Leon had intended to get some horror movie resources from the outside.
Even if they weren't useful for the current event, they would surely come in handy in the future.
Since this 'path' to contact the outside world was blocked, Leon could only use the system-provided 500 in cash to buy some 'potentially useful' items from the grocery store, packing them all into a hiking backpack.
Just then, the ritual ended.
Old Lady Wang and her husband bid farewell to the family who had been "successfully exorcised."
"Hello, Old Lady Wang, we are..."
They presented their student IDs and introduced themselves.
How could she refuse these foreign students who had come from so far away to film their documentary... Besides, Old Lady Wang saw an opportunity - if word of her abilities spread through their film, it would definitely be good for business .
Therefore, Old Lady Wang gladly agreed to the six's interview and filming requests.
Just then, the system voice came again:
『Correct relationship established with key character 'Old Lady Wang.' Please follow her to the event location via transport.』