Chapter 374: Argent Sky Dragon
The group changed location to the Thornehart’s estate for the next scene. Lucen got into character, and once again, the people saw how his entire demeanor changed in a second.
’This skill of becoming someone else to the very core is truly amazing. Why is such a man, who is obviously meant to push acting to its greatest form, so focused on weaponry and fighting?’ Harry couldn’t help but sigh at the thought.
The scene they were about to record was Kael Veyr’s first appearance. It would show the audience what kind of person he was before he ever met Eren Holt.
A young noble. A genius Card Summoner. A person who believed that power, bloodline, wealth, and victory were naturally connected.
The Thornehart estate was perfect for the scene. The training hall had been rearranged to look like a noble dueling chamber. Long banners hung from the walls, polished tables were placed at the side, and the floor had been cleared so that the illusion spells could appear properly.
Mireya stood near the side with several mages who would help create the illusion of the Summon Cards. This was the part she had been waiting for.
The actual cards were already exciting, but once the illusion spells were added, it would feel as if the creatures had truly been summoned onto the battlefield.
Harry raised one hand. "Prepare the Video Orb."
The Grey Tower assistant beside the focused Video Orb nodded. "Ready."
Harry looked toward Lucen.
No.
Toward Kael Veyr.
Kael sat at the table with his deck placed neatly before him. His clothes were different from Lucen’s usual attire. He wore a dark, noble outfit with silver embroidery, giving him the feeling of someone elegant, expensive, and difficult to approach.
Across from him sat the actor who would play Kael’s first opponent. He was not an important character. His role was simple: to play against Kael and lose. This was to show the overwhelming capabilities of Kael.
The actor facing Kael was feeling nervous, but he was a professional and acted his part.
"Action!" Harry said the words Lucen taught him to say when they were about to start. The focused Video Orb glowed faintly.
Lucen, aka Kael, looked at his opponent with a haughty gaze. He then smiled at his opponent as he spoke.
"I will allow you the first turn."
The actor playing Kael’s opponent clenched his cards as if he had been insulted.
In truth, that line had not been difficult to react to. Anyone sitting across from Kael Veyr would feel as if they had just been looked down upon.
"Then do not regret it," the opponent said. "Draw!"
He drew a card and quickly placed one on the field.
"I summon Ironhide Boar!"
The moment the card touched the table, Mireya and the mages moved.
Mana gathered above the field, and a large armored boar appeared with a low growl. Its tusks shone under the light, and its hooves scraped against the floor as if it were truly alive.
Several people watching were amazed by the sight. Despite illusions being used in plays, they were mostly used to recreate the background, but this was used as a part of the game itself.
Not only that, but Mireya, who was now a fourth-circle mage, had enhanced her skills in using illusions. If Lucen could make the game look like this when it was released, they could already imagine people playing it in every corner of Norvaegard and beyond.
The opponent then placed another card face down. "I set one Ambush Card and end my turn."
Ironhide Boar stood proudly on the field. With its thick armor and heavy body, it looked like a creature meant to endure several attacks.
Kael looked at it for only a moment before drawing a card.
"My turn."
His movement was smooth and unhurried. "I will show you what a real Summoning Card looks like. I summon Silvercrest Falcon."
The moment Kael placed the card down, Mireya and the mages moved again.
A silver falcon appeared above the battlefield. Its wings spread wide, scattering faint particles of light that looked like falling stardust.
It was not as large as Ironhide Boar, nor did it have the heavy pressure of a beast covered in armor. Still, as people in Norvaegard who had seen different kinds of monsters, they already knew that this beast was stronger than the Ironhide Boar.
That was the difference between a creature that only looked strong and a creature that was truly dangerous.
Kael looked at the armored boar and spoke calmly. "I activate the Art Card, Noble Hunt."
The moment he placed the card down, the silver falcon above the field let out a sharp cry. Its wings spread wider, and the faint particles of light around it turned into thin silver lines.
"When I control a winged Summon Card, I can lower the guard of one enemy Summon Card by the attack value of my Summon Card."
The silver lines shot toward Ironhide Boar. The armored beast stomped its hooves and tried to resist, but the light wrapped around its body like chains. The heavy armor covering its body began to crack.
"Impossible," the opponent said, acting out his disbelief. "Ironhide Boar’s guard is its greatest strength."
Kael smiled faintly. "Then that only proves its greatest strength was not great enough."
The opponent gritted his teeth. "I activate my Ambush Card, Iron Wall Stance. When one of my Summon Cards has its guard lowered, I can cancel that effect."
The face-down card flipped open. A wall of iron appeared in front of Ironhide Boar. For a moment, it looked as if the boar had been protected.
Then Kael placed another card down. "I activate Royal Authority."
A silver crest appeared behind Kael’s falcon, and the iron wall that had formed in front of Ironhide Boar cracked apart.
"Once per duel, when an opponent activates an Ambush Card in response to my Art Card, I may negate that Ambush Card."
The iron wall shattered. The silver lines wrapped around Ironhide Boar again, cracking its armor until the large beast let out a strained roar. The opponent’s expression twisted, but Kael only watched with calm eyes.
"Noble Hunt resolves." Silvercrest Falcon cried sharply and descended like a blade falling from the sky.
"I attack Ironhide Boar with Silvercrest Falcon."
The falcon struck. Ironhide Boar shattered into fragments of light, and the opponent’s Life Crest dropped.
The actor playing Kael’s opponent slammed one hand against the table, acting out his frustration. "Even if you destroy Ironhide Boar, this duel is far from over!"
Kael looked at him as if he had said something foolish. "Do you think so?"
Kael slowly lifted another card from his hand. "You misunderstand. I was never trying to win with this falcon. Allow me to show your weak self what true power looks like."
Kael placed the card on the table. "I activate the Art Card, Offering of the High Sky. When a winged Summon Card I control destroys an enemy Summon Card, I may use it as an offering to summon a higher beast from my hand."
Silvercrest Falcon rose into the air. Its body became a pillar of silver light, and the illusion mages quickly moved.
Despite already knowing what’s coming next since she was informed beforehand to create the illusion, Mireya was still excited.
The silver light twisted, expanded, and roared. Wings far larger than the falcon’s spread above the battlefield. Scales like polished steel appeared one after another.
A long tail swept across the floor, and a pair of cold blue eyes opened within the illusion. A dragon appeared.
Even though everyone knew it was only an illusion, the spectacle of a dragon appearing inside the Thornehart estate was quite the sight. It was a good thing the room they were in was big, and the ceiling was high.
Kael slowly raised his hand. "Bear witness to the power I hold. This is my Argent Sky Dragon."
The dragon lowered its head behind him, as if acknowledging its master. Kael chuckled, sure of his overwhelming victory. "Be grateful. A weakling like you has been allowed to lay eyes on such a card. Argent Sky Dragon’s effect activates. When it is summoned by offering a winged Summon Card, it deals six damage to the enemy Life Crest."
The dragon’s wings spread. Silver wind swept across the opponent’s field. His Life Crest dropped from sixteen to ten. It was now obvious what was about to happen next.
"Time to end this farce. Argent Sky Dragon attacks directly."
The dragon opened its jaws. Silver light gathered in its mouth. The beam of light shot forward.
The opponent’s side of the field was swallowed whole. His Life Crest fell to zero, and the illusion scattered into countless fragments of silver light.
For a moment, no one spoke. Then Harry finally remembered himself. "Cut!"
The second Harry said those words, the video orb was deactivated, and Lucen stopped acting and returned to his normal self.
The actor who played his opponent still had his arms up as if trying to block something. He was breathing heavily as if he were truly attacked.
"Are you alright?" One of the staff asked the actor who opened his eyes and looked around. He saw that the scene had ended, and he was not hurt in the slightest.
"... Yeah... That was an act... It was not real..." The actor whispered to himself.
"Now that we’re done with this scene, should we continue to the next, or do we stop for now?"
Lucen looked at the sun setting. "I guess we can do two more scenes, since we do have one while the sun’s setting and another for a night setting."
Harry looked at the fading light outside, then at the focused Video Orb with a smile that he could no longer hide. "Then let us continue. If the first appearance of Kael Veyr was this powerful, then the next scenes must not fall behind."
Lucen nodded and looked toward the actors and staff. "Good. Everyone, we’ll make sure that this project will be remembered for ages to come."
