Capítulo 79: 9 lives

Christian contemplated his thoughts, speaking to Charlize, "So, what does it mean if a person is constantly dying and being reborn? Doesn't their vitality keep diminishing?" Charlize, who was suddenly interrupted while watching a movie, looked at Christian, who appeared deep in thought, not quite grasping her point.

"That's merely for death," Christian's words seemed to both challenge and introspect.

"But for a newcomer, it's the infusion of vitality – vitality continues to be injected and depleted in their physical strength. During this process, some vitality overflows, while some naturally settle."

Having said this, Christian suddenly chuckled, "Sally, inform Alexis that I've discovered an effective method to transfer the newly acquired vitality to her."

"What's the solution?" The blonde girl asked, her rosy lips closely approaching Christian.

"Alexis!?"

"It's me." The girl nodded, "As soon as Sally heard you say that, she immediately gave me control of her body. So, just tell me!"

"Ahem, okay" Christian awkwardly cleared his throat before continuing. "In short, you need to collaborate with Sally for another movie"

"What?" Despite witnessing the eccentricities of Christian's magic, Alexis still couldn't fathom the connection between vitality transfer and filmmaking.

"Let me explain. Although I can directly transfer the vitality I've taken from the Ghost Tiger to you, as a ghost, your cultivation time is too short to handle such a significant vitality regularly."

Christian made an analogy, "It's akin to a newly hatched python being unable to swallow an adult hippopotamus. I mentioned earlier that to live like a living person, you need an ample supply of vitality. Now, the vitality is here, but the issue is how to absorb it effectively."

"Have you come up with a solution now?" Alexis looked at Christian with hope. "Can filmmaking solve this problem?"

"That's right!" Christian affirmed, "But it can't be just any movie. It must be one in which you are constantly killed and then resurrected, like 'Groundhog Day'!"

"You still have that hobby?" Alexis teased, licking her lips playfully, "It doesn't matter for me as a ghost, but you can't treat Sally that way"

"If you're misinterpreting my intentions, return to being a subconscious mind" Christian admonished with a stern expression. Satisfied that Alexis had stopped her playful remarks, she continued, "As I mentioned earlier, through constant death and resurrection, the vitality I've conveyed in the past will continue to accumulate in both you and Sally. For a living person, this surplus vitality is of no use."

"So, the vitality will naturally be absorbed by me who is attached to her?" Alexis comprehended.

"If this can be achieved, it won't have any adverse effects on Sally, right?"

"It won't." Christian looked at Alexis in surprise, "Have you ever seen an actor turn into a corpse due to playing a dead role?"

"Yes, I have" Alexis pointed to her herself, "The last role I played before committing suicide was a corpse."

"Well, that's a tragic story" Christian scratched his head helplessly, "In short, this way you can efficiently absorb the vitality I've transmitted in the past. It's like an animal."

"An animal?" Alexis queried.

"Yes, a cat. A cat with nine lives" Christian said, catching Alexis's curiosity.

"In Eastern and Western legends, cats are believed to have nine lives. However, normal cats lack this ability. Cats with nine lives are cat demons"

"Is it because cat demons are stronger than they have nine lives?" Alexis pondered.

"On the contrary, it's because of the nine lives that they become demons" Christian concluded, "The person who taught me spells once said that regardless of whether an era can provide enough spiritual energy, cats can cultivate. They can transform into cat demons if they can endure nine calamities. That's the origin of the saying that cats have nine lives."

"Almost dying but not truly dead?" Alexis suddenly halted, and noted, "This isn't a Super Saiyan! Ah, that's what Sally said."

"...Has she started delving into Japanese 'Dragon Ball' now, apart from American superheroes?" Christian muttered.

"Considering this way isn't wrong. Though cat demons lack the second and third stage transformations."

"But if that's the case, shouldn't there be numerous cat demons in the world?" Alexis still found something amiss. "Why have I never seen one before?"

"How likely do you think it is that you can escape being killed nine times in a row, your life hanging by a thread, yet you've managed to save yourself from danger?" Christian shot her an annoyed look. "If you don't die, you won't die. Furthermore, the cat's practice essentially concludes with death. Besides, do you think they consciously practice this? It's instinctive."

"Anyway, just like in 'Wrong Turn,' you still need to perform with Sally, but..." Christian furrowed his brow, appearing troubled. "This time, you two must make the audience believe you're the same person, yet perceive the differences between you two. This requirement is more demanding than in 'Wrong Corner.'"

"Can't a split personality work?" Alexis suggested.

"Like how you two are now?" Christian shook his head. "No, Most viewers will naturally assume that split personality means two distinct people."

"But that's not how it's defined in psychology" Alexis countered.

Alexis and Charlize had read some psychology books about split personalities when they were bored, making them somewhat knowledgeable on the topic. However...

"For spells, psychological definitions are irrelevant. What the public thinks matters most."

"It's like language. Even if it's a linguistic mistake, if enough people use it, it becomes the conventional correct usage, sometimes even compelling linguists to update dictionaries."

"...Chinese language is quite similar in this regard," Christian added, though he didn't delve into a Chinese lesson. He waved his hand to dismiss the subject.

"Let's attempt to solve this from a script perspective. Maybe if we set it up so that the character's performance before and after the 'switch' is strikingly different, you both can act out parts of it."

"But how do you transition like that?" Alexis got serious about acting, and in this aspect, she and Charlize were equally skilled. In other words, Charlize had taught her.

"If it's not handled correctly, it could easily result in a disjointed performance, creating a mess," Alexis stared at Christian, "and that would be pointless, right?"

"Yes." Christian gave a wry smile. "A bad movie serves no purpose. Only a good movie can benefit our careers and resonate with the audience to make the spell effective."

He picked up the remote and replayed scenes from "Groundhog Day," featuring the protagonist Phil, portrayed by Bill Murray, in various life-and-death situations.

"What kind of storyline are you thinking of?" Christian recalled the various movies he'd seen before crossing and felt a bit outdated.

Infinite loop-themed films and TV shows weren't that common. Besides "Groundhog Day," which came out in 1992, he could only think of "Horror Cruise," but that film...

Christian felt that the tragic cycle of death and rebirth didn't quite align with the spell he aimed to construct. He even wished the script could have a happy ending, akin to "Groundhog Day," as otherwise, it seemed unsettling for Charlize and Alexis.

But what else was there aside from "Horror Cruise"?

Was it even possible to utilize the "Endless August" section from the "Haruhi Suzumiya" series? The cultural disparities between Japan and the United States and the narrative's reliance on the original series made it a challenging choice.

Oh, and "Edge of Tomorrow"!

Yet, the crux of that movie was Tom Cruise saving the world once more. Furthermore, the recurring character was male, and no matter how talented Charlize and Alexis were, they couldn't convincingly act as men. These two were strikingly beautiful with blonde hair and blue eyes, not Hilary Swank.

"If you can't come up with something, don't dwell on it." A pair of slender, slightly cool hands rested on Christian's forehead, gently massaging it. "We still have time."

"Sally?" Christian sensed the shift in the girl's demeanor, and she offered a small smile.

"Take a break for now. Maybe just a nap."

"Sleep?" Charlize's words flashed like lightning. "I've got it!" Christian enthusiastically grabbed Charlize's hand from his forehead and kissed it. She initially tried to evade his advance but eventually acquiesced.

"Our new movie will be called 'Happy Death Day'"