(3rd Person POV)
Clint Foster emerged from John Wick's modest home, his crew trailing behind. The "hell-dog" lay motionless inside—an elaborate puppet with realistic organs, possessed by the ghost Daddy. No actual creature had been harmed.
'Mission accomplished. Time to report back to the organization.'
Clint admired his companions. These extras were phenomenal—their swagger, casual violence, and predatory movements felt completely authentic.
'They haven't broken character once. I need to match their level for that golden statue.'
Clint didn't realize the men around him weren't actors at all.
"Boss, you really went hard on that mutt," one thug said. "Was all that torture necessary?"
A wolf demon grinned. "Nah, it was perfect. Bet the old gods are laughing right now."
Clint scoffed. "That pathetic display was exactly what John Wick earned for defying me."
"Honestly? Expected more from the guy," a scarred human shrugged. "Way the organization talks, you'd think he was some kind of boogeyman."
"Enough chatter." Clint's voice carried authority. "Time to claim what's mine."
They headed to the garage, ghost cameramen following invisibly. Inside sat a beautiful car from Horn Kingdom's famous automotive brand, "Rook." Hellfire had specifically chosen the brand since the owner had discussed featuring their car in the film.
"There she is," Clint breathed. "Beautiful."
---
At Ariel's chop shop in Horn City's industrial district, the imp demon emerged from beneath a sedan, wiping grease-stained hands. Despite his size, Ariel commanded respect in the criminal underworld—vehicles brought to him vanished, reborn with clean papers.
Clint wanted the Rook equipped with fresh VIN numbers and plates.
"Nice ride. Where'd you acquire her?" Ariel circled the sedan.
"I liberated her from someone too stupid to appreciate quality," Clint laughed mockingly.
"Cut the bullshit, kid."
Something in Ariel's tone made everyone pause.
'Damn, this guy's commitment is incredible.'
"Fine. Took her from John Wick. Had to teach the old man some manners first—dealt with his precious pet too."
Ariel's fist exploded across Clint's jaw. The actor crashed backward, vision swimming.
*'Holy shit! That felt completely real!'*
"You ignorant little bastard!" Ariel's voice cracked like a whip. "Do you have any idea what you've done? John fucking Wick?"
Terror flickered across the imp's features—genuine fear that no acting could replicate.
'Holy shit, this performance is incredible. He deserves every award in existence.'
Unknown to Clint, Ariel's horror was authentic. Arthur had selected the criminal and altered his memories, implanting false history where John Wick was the underworld's most feared legend.
"You stupid boy," Ariel whispered, backing away. "You've just painted a target on every one of us."
The thugs exchanged dismissive glances, not taking Ariel's warnings seriously.
"I need to inform your father about this." Ariel pulled out his Hellphone and dialed Viggo.
---
At Victory Peak, a sprawling mansion served as headquarters for one of Horn Kingdom's most notorious gangs—a major criminal organization controlled by the Skull Organization.
On the marble balcony, famous actor Rocky sat with wine, watching the sunset.
'I still don't understand what that kid is planning. Actually making me pose as a real gang boss for this movie? He gets crazier by the day.'
Rocky had known Arthur for years, watching him transform from exiled prince to reputable filmmaker. In fact, he'd never expected that first film, Demonfather, would become such a phenomenon.
Although Arthur hadn't told him everything, Rocky could tell he was surrounded by actual criminals. He'd been pretending to be a gang boss for several days, long enough to recognize the difference between actors and the real deal.
'Arthur's filmmaking methods get more absurd with each project. He's obsessed with making everything completely realistic.'
The Hellphone rang. The moment he heard it, Rocky knew his "performance" was about to begin.
---
Arthur was thoroughly satisfied with his elaborate production setup. The cast and crew had no idea they were working alongside a real gang and the dangerous Skull Organization for the John Wick project.
He had strategically replaced an actual gang boss's son—a menace to society—with Clint Foster. The original had been quietly eliminated and substituted without anyone's knowledge. Similarly, Rocky now stood in for the gang boss father, playing Viggo while surrounded by genuine criminals who believed he was their legitimate leader.
Ghost crew members scattered throughout Horn City, invisible as they captured every moment. Hidden microphones recorded crystal-clear audio while phantom cameras tracked each scene seamlessly.
The filming flowed in real time without a single "cut." Arthur observed everything from his office like a puppetmaster, using his enhanced directing abilities to manipulate both actors and non-actors as if pulling invisible strings.
Meanwhile, after the brutal beating, John Wick had slowly risen from his floor, blood trickling from split lips. He staggered to where his beloved hell-dog lay motionless, kneeling beside the lifeless form with trembling hands. The grief on Keanu's face was raw and authentic—the perfect foundation for John Wick's return to violence.
The angel Scarlet, whom Arthur had assigned to the bartender role, worked diligently at her post, actually functioning as a real bartender. Though the task was humiliating for someone of her divine status, she followed through with Arthur's instructions, completely unaware she was part of an elaborate cinematic deception.
Arthur's revolutionary approach allowed multiple locations to be filmed simultaneously. While traditional productions required extensive setup, lighting, and coordination, his ghost crew handled everything invisibly. The regular production team was only needed for controlled studio scenes—the rest unfolded naturally in the real world.
Arthur smiled as he watched his masterpiece take shape. This format would complete filming far faster than conventional methods, provided nothing unexpected disrupted his carefully orchestrated chaos.
[Congratulations! Titanic has officially reached 1 billion after four weeks of screening!]
The system notification appeared before Arthur.
"One billion?" Arthur smiled with satisfaction. "I didn't expect this romance film would become my second movie to hit the billion-dollar mark."
His first billion-dollar film had been LoTR: The Two Towers. The sequel, The Return of the King, had only reached 809 million global dollars—a result of various nations beginning to release their own currencies instead of relying solely on the global dollar. Consequently, ticket purchases were valued lower in global dollar terms than before.
The Two Towers had reached its billion when the Global Dollar functioned as the world's primary currency.
Many industry observers believed that breaking the "curse"—the assumption that no Hellfire film would ever again reach one billion global dollars—was impossible. The changing economic landscape seemed to have permanently capped box office potential.
That's why Arthur was genuinely surprised that a romantic film like Titanic had shattered those expectations.
Though it hadn't surpassed The Two Towers, it was still a remarkable achievement.
[Reward: Advanced Divine Ship - «Void Walker»]
"Hmm? This is..." Arthur's eyes lit up with interest. He immediately accessed the detailed information.
The system interface revealed that the «Void Walker» resembled a spacecraft the size of a private luxury jet. According to its specifications, the vessel could travel through space itself.
"Could it be... With this, I could travel to other planets in this vast universe?"
The prospect thrilled him. He was particularly excited about the possibility of taking Firfel on interstellar journeys. However, he wasn't rushing to test it immediately.
Arthur didn't know what existed "outside" this world. Although he could travel to the Divine World at will—where he maintained a safe sanctuary in his personal divine realm—he had never experienced the true horrors that realm contained. Whether Eldritch beings or ancient entities more powerful than gods like himself lurked there remained unknown to him.
The universe would likely prove equally mysterious, even if not as dangerous as the Divine World.
"I'll definitely test it later," Arthur decided. "But careful preparation comes first."