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Lord of Entertainment C383 A humbling experience
🕑 Added 2025-08-06 12:30:08 +0000 UTC(3rd Person POV)
Scarlet had thoroughly studied the script titled "Legendary Assassin." The story of a retired killer drawn back into his world fascinated her—she'd always wondered what it felt like to be an assassin.
While Titanic had sparked her interest in acting, this role appealed to something deeper. A story of revenge over a beloved pet's death struck her as both tragic and compelling.
When her turn finally arrived, she faced the casting crew with Arthur Pendragon seated among them. 'The demon who directed Titanic. So... ordinary.'
"Name and desired role," Klein, the casting director, requested routinely.
Arthur observed silently.
"Scarlet Brown," she replied with a fabricated surname. "I'm auditioning for the main character."
Klein's eyebrows shot up. "The lead role is already cast. Perhaps consider a female character instead—"
"I've decided. The main character suits me perfectly," Scarlet interrupted confidently. "I'm highly skilled in martial arts and possess genuine assassin-like abilities. I'm the most qualified candidate."
Keanu, standing beside Arthur, frowned as he sensed her aura. 'She feels like one of Solarus's servants. And she wants my role?' His expression hardened. 'She'll have to go through me first.'
"The lead actor has already been chosen," Keanu interjected firmly. "That actor is me."
Scarlet turned toward him, her eyes intimidating as she crossed her arms. "Is that so?" She smiled coldly. "Do you possess the necessary skills of a 'Legendary Assassin'? I doubt a weak-looking man like you could handle such a demanding role."
Silence filled the room. Everyone stared at Scarlet in shock.
Arthur watched with obvious amusement.
"This audition is over. Please leave—" Klein began, attempting to defuse the situation.
But Arthur raised his hand. "Let her continue."
Klein looked surprised that his boss was allowing this confrontation to escalate.
"You seem very confident in your abilities," Keanu stepped closer, his expression indifferent. "I usually wouldn't take someone like you seriously, but your aura is... unpleasant. If you're so sure of your martial arts skills, let's test them."
"You're prepared to fight me?" Scarlet grinned. "Good. I'll emerge victorious, obviously."
Keanu snorted and dropped into a combat stance, his posture balanced and predatory.
The room's atmosphere turned tense. Klein whispered urgently, "Boss, this is insane! Are you sure about this?"
Arthur smiled calmly. "Don't worry. I'm confident in Keanu's abilities."
"That's not the point! He's going to fight a lady!" Klein protested.
Arthur's smile widened, knowing the "lady" before them was actually a powerful high-ranking angel of Solarus.
Scarlet stood with hands behind her back, radiating overconfident superiority, her eyes domineering.
Outside the office, High Arbiter Kaiser facepalmed in exasperation. "What is this damn angel doing? She was supposed to simply audition, not cause trouble!" His enhanced vision allowed him to see through walls as he watched helplessly.
Keanu moved first, intending to go easy—despite her unpleasant aura, he didn't want to seriously harm her.
To his surprise, Scarlet evaded effortlessly and landed a solid blow to his ribs. While it didn't hurt, it pushed him back several steps.
'What?' Keanu stared at her in surprise.
Arthur's telepathic voice reached him: «That woman isn't an ordinary mortal, Keanu. She's an angel working for Solarus.»
Keanu's eyes widened, his fists clenching. 'Solarus... No wonder she smells so filthy!'
Now understanding his opponent's true nature, Keanu abandoned all restraint. He wouldn't need his full divine power—just enough to match a supremely skilled mortal.
"What's wrong? Afraid to attack after getting hurt?" Scarlet taunted.
Keanu's expression remained calm despite his gritted teeth. He rushed forward with a powerful strike.
Scarlet moved to counterattack and evade, but the attack was a feint—a devastating kick caught her stomach instead. Caught completely off-guard, she crashed into the wall.
"Ugh!" Before she could recover, Keanu was already attacking again. She became serious, evading desperately, but his relentless assault drove her back until she was trapped against the wall.
'Who is this guy? He's definitely not ordinary,' she realized, finally understanding she'd severely underestimated her opponent.
Even using her maximum mortal-level power, she couldn't keep pace. When she attempted to strike his face, he evaded smoothly, moved behind her, and locked his arm around her throat.
"This is over. Surrender," Keanu whispered in her ear, his grip firm but not crushing.
Scarlet gritted her teeth, clenching her fists. 'Infuriating! I actually lost to a mortal?' The humiliation burned through her.
'If I used even a fraction of my angelic power, I could crush him easily, but...' She bit her lip, glancing toward where she sensed Kaiser's presence. 'That damn High Arbiter is watching. Using divine power would mean severe punishment.'
With no other option, she sighed reluctantly. "You got lucky. I wasn't using my true power."
Keanu released her with a knowing smile. "Neither was I. If I used my full abilities, I doubt you'd survive."
Scarlet frowned and snorted. "If you knew my real capabilities, you wouldn't say that."
"I do know," Keanu chuckled confidently. "I know exactly how powerful you are. That's why I'm certain I could still defeat you, even if you're strong enough to destroy this entire kingdom."
Scarlet's eyes narrowed with suspicion. 'He speaks as if he truly knows I'm an angel. This man is definitely not ordinary.' A new thought struck her. 'Could he be connected to the Monetary Faith theft?'
"What's your name?" she demanded.
"Keanu Reeves. The lead actor of this project," he replied, returning to Arthur's side.
"Never heard of you." Scarlet turned to Arthur. "Since I'm here, I'll accept any role. I want to experience being an actress."
While partly true, she also intended to monitor this Keanu Reeves. Her instincts screamed that someone confident enough to claim he could defeat an angel at full power was worth investigating.
"After causing such disruption, I don't think we can offer you any roles—" Klein began.
"Actually, you're in," Arthur interrupted, surprising everyone. "We need someone for Addy, the bartender. It's just a minor role. Will that work?"
Scarlet considered. 'Just a minor role?' It rankled, but her plan to steal the lead had failed. "Fine."
"Excellent." Arthur smiled. "Production starts in a few days. Staff will provide you with the location."
Scarlet bristled at Arthur's casual tone. He was speaking to her like an ordinary mortal, completely unaware he was addressing a powerful angel. The disrespect was almost unbearable.
Outside, Kaiser continued observing and was surprised to see Scarlet cooperating so readily with the mortals. "Interesting. Did her defeat actually humble her?" he muttered.
He could see Scarlet's humiliation from losing. Angels, especially high-ranking ones, rarely accepted defeat gracefully—particularly from mortals.
Yet she was not only accepting it but willingly participating. Simultaneously, Kaiser noted that her opponent wasn't ordinary either.
"Who is that man? Defeating Scarlet, even at mortal power levels, requires exceptional skill. He's definitely not normal—perhaps worth investigating for the Monetary Faith theft."
---
Several days later, Lady Fox and her subordinates arrived in Horn Kingdom.
Upon arrival, Lady Fox ordered her team to contact criminal organizations connected to the Skull network. They would investigate what had happened to Viper and Tarsier.
Over the next two days, their investigation yielded disturbing information. Local gangs spoke in hushed tones about a mysterious figure connected to Arthur Pendragon—a retired killer named John Wick.
The intelligence they gathered was staggering. John Wick's legendary resume included eliminations of entire crime families, impossible infiltrations, and a reputation that made hardened criminals flee at the mention of his name. They even obtained a photograph—an innocent-looking man whose ordinary appearance made him all the more terrifying.
The information had surfaced recently after John Wick had allegedly annihilated an entire gang just three days prior. The assault lasted barely an hour, leaving almost no survivors except for one terrified member who had escaped and shared both his story and a hastily taken photograph. Word spread quickly through the criminal underworld, putting everyone on edge.
"John Wick..." Lady Fox studied the photo with serious concern.
"It's clear this John Wick was responsible for killing Viper and Tarsier," one subordinate said with conviction. "Perhaps Pendragon hired him for protection."
"Or maybe he's the real mastermind with information about the Ring of Greed," another suggested.
The assumptions varied, but Lady Fox knew one thing for certain—John Wick was extremely dangerous, and their investigation had just become far more complicated.
