Former Warrior Turns Into A Million-Dollar Actor [EN]: Chapter 83

Underdog’s Rebellion (3)

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A massive crane arrives, and a water truck resembling a ladder truck encircles the bank building.

Geon admired the preparations for the fire scene, which were on par with a blockbuster movie.

‘This is my first time, and the scale is already this big.’

The staff, including PD [Production Director] Jeon In-woo, the director of photography, and the AD [Assistant Director], were all gathered wearing gas masks.

No matter how advanced modern CG [Computer Graphics] technology is, it’s impossible to replicate the realism of real fire.

That’s why PD Jeon said he had been preparing for this scene since the construction of the set.

To burn down and destroy the symbolic building that was established by the Japanese, sucking the blood of Koreans and filling the pockets of pro-Japanese collaborators and Japanese people.

‘Originally, it should be filmed in a special effects studio, but…’

Between burning the actual set and filming in a studio and adding effects, it’s obvious which one would turn out better without even filming it.

It seemed that some of the flames and smoke would be CG-processed to protect the actors. A little while ago, the director of photography came to him and made a special request.

“You have to run out immediately when the cut is called. This isn’t a studio, so we can’t install ducts to remove the toxic gases. Especially be careful not to breathe in the air down below.”

Geon nodded readily. He had learned how to deal with fires from his father since he was young.

In the Iron Kingdom… there was no need for fire drills.

The body of a hero was immune to all four elements: fire, water, earth, and wind.

After catching the Great Demon and achieving an increase in ‘tier,’ he transcended the human body, living without eating and breathing underwater.

‘If I had brought just a few artifacts with me, I could have protected all the actors here.’

The brooch of the sentry, the blessed headdress, the cape of the old fairy lord. All items he carried around in the early stages of his regression.

To save his companions, not himself.

—Hero, please listen to me. I told you not to act like a moron with a ton of lives, right?

—My companions are more important. I can’t let the people who trusted me and came with me get hurt.

—That’s not it. Everyone else besides you, we’re just expendable. If you want to leave this damn world, please be heartless!

He even argued with the Saintess when he handed over precious artifacts to his companions, and she saw the scene.

He could feel why she said that so deeply as he killed the second and third Great Demons.

‘…What meaning would it have, though.’

Perhaps because it was a blockbuster shoot involving danger, his fingertips were already tingling even though the camera wasn’t pointing at him.

It was a rare sign of clear harmony and proof that this shoot would revive his memories.

“Kyaa, kyaaaa!”

A piercing scream brought him back to reality.

Inside the Gyeongseong Bank, where the filming crew had entered, a brutal scene was already unfolding.

“Don’t move if you want to live.”

“Wh-Who are you…?”

“We are the swords of the Empire, here to enlighten you ignorant and uncivilized Yobos (ヨボ: a derogatory term for Koreans) under the order of His Majesty the Emperor.”

In the bank where business was in full swing, a hostage situation suddenly breaks out.

Unidentified men in black block the entrance and hold knives to the employees and customers.

“Japanese people, leave. Koreans, stay. If anyone tries to escape, we will cut off their ears and tongues as an example.”

After a brief identity check, Japanese customers wearing expensive silk kimonos and geta [traditional Japanese wooden sandals] are safely escorted outside.

Only the Koreans, trembling with anxiety, remain inside, their hands and feet tied.

The man who appears to be the leader of the men in black—Lee Dong-soo—who fired the gun inside the bank, points to a child and declares coldly.

“And you, go out and shout at the top of your lungs. If Butcher Mask doesn’t come here, one Korean will be beheaded every 15 minutes.”

With those words, Lee Dong-soo takes off his hood, and gasps leak out from here and there.

A long scar runs across his cheek to his mouth. A blue glass eye is embedded in a scar that runs vertically from above his eyebrow, creating a terrible sense of incongruity.

Lee Dong-soo’s acting, which had not been significant until now, explodes from the middle of the play. There is a reason why Team Leader Jin Gyu-il picked him from C&J along with Jo Hyun-ah.

“Time’s up. You, come out.”

And 15 minutes later, the crazy samurai keeps his word.

The Korean woman who was pointed out struggles in terror, but two men in black drag her out regardless.

“Please, please save me! I have children at home, my husband and children…!”

“First one.”

With a merciless voice, blood splatters.

.

.

.

Lee Dong-soo, playing the role of Shuhei, the head of the Hwangwoo Association and a samurai who abandoned his surname, suppressed his pounding heart.

It’s exhilarating.

Both as a character who has already immersed himself to a considerable extent, and as an actor waiting for his colleagues while wearing the character.

These days, every day was fun. Although he only appeared from the middle of the play, it was interesting just to watch, even if he didn’t have scenes with the main characters.

It’s because of Park Geon, who will break through the ceiling of the bank and fall down shortly.

‘I wondered what kind of hyung [older brother/male friend] he was.’

Running up a 3-story height without wires, or doing unbelievable parkour moves, let’s concede that those are possible.

The undisputed number one on set even gives action lectures to the actors he works with.

‘…It was almost Park Geon’s action school. He turns actors and extras into real swordsmen.’

When he was teaching Oh Min-woo, who played the role of the leader of the independence army, who was more clumsy than he thought, even martial arts director Do Jong-woo gave up on him, I wondered if he was even human.

‘The problem is that his instantaneous power and muscle coordination are low compared to his strength. Think of it as walking, then running, and then swinging a bat. The target is always my head.’

‘But, if the actor gets hurt…’

‘It’s okay. I’ll take care of the rest.’

As a result, the new-old confrontation between independence activists that appeared in Gyeongseong was filmed wonderfully.

Lee Dong-soo himself had received special training in Korean swordsmanship before filming, and had taken gymnastics classes for a while to use his body well.

That’s why he knows better than anyone how great that point lesson is.

Whether it’s acting or action, being good at it alone and leading others are different areas.

“You guys, are you from the military?”

And… another Roman ace is performing enthusiastically in front of him.

*

The day the Hwangwoo Association’s hostage situation at Gyeongseong Bank occurred.

Song Yi-seol happened to stop by to run errands and got caught up in the incident and became a hostage.

—…I know your face. You can leave.

A member of the Hwangwoo Association, recognizing that she is the granddaughter of Lord Song Byeol-hak, who is supporting the Japanese in every way, tries to drive her out, but Song Yi-seol does not back down.

—I am Korean, and my family has been Korean for generations. I am different from you twisted Emperor worshippers.

—What did you just say?

—The words Hwang (皇) in black… maybe they are young officers who were pushed out in a factional fight and kicked out? I heard that some of those who failed to seize military control were purged and some fled and hid in Joseon [Korea under Japanese rule].

—This Korean bitch, speaking so freely…!

The member of the Hwangwoo Association raises his hand, but Shuhei, who stopped him, stands in front of Song Yi-seol.

The root, the goal… even more different, the plunderer and the plundered clash gazes like knives.

Shuhei, Lee Dong-soo’s mouth utters Japanese as fluent as a native speaker.

—The granddaughter of the old man from the Blue Tile House [Cheongwadae, the Korean presidential residence, is meant here]. Your grandfather realized the reality and bowed his head in front of us, but is it because you are a young girl that you don’t know the reality?

—You are the ones who don’t know the reality.

—Why?

—Are you asking because you don’t know? Rats who have no place to stand in the mainland, hiding in the land invaded by their compatriots… no, abandoned hunting dogs, aren’t you?

Anger flashes across Shuhei’s face, which was like a stone wall.

Then, as he draws his katana at an invisible speed, a red blood line appears on Song Yi-seol’s arm.

—Your mouth is dirty, Korean bitch. This time I only cut the skin, but next time I will cut it off completely.

—Go ahead and try. If they hear that the granddaughter of Lord Song Byeol-hak, who helps the Japanese, was killed by samurai, the Governor-General will try to catch you…

—Aagh, save me!

The moment Song Yi-seol confronts him with unwavering spirit, screams are heard from outside. It sounds like something is exploding.

Her clever eyes shine.

‘Did the Jongno Police Station move? No, they would have cooperated to catch Butcher Mask.’

The answer was soon revealed. With the hot heat, a pungent smoke began to enter inside.

—Fire! There’s a fire in the bank!

—That bastard… that bastard, Butcher Mask is here!

*

“Area 1, Area 2, ignite simultaneously!”

The assistant director, who was attached to the roof of Gyeongseong Bank on a ladder truck and was very nervous, shouted.

It is inevitable that there will be danger because actors cannot be made to wear fireproof clothing and gas masks, but if it really leads to an accident, the production team is entirely responsible.

Isn’t it said that ‘legend’ scenes and disasters are only a paper apart? Knowing this, all the staff are wearing gas masks and are fully prepared to rush in.

PD Jeon In-woo inside gives instructions to the assistant director outside through an earpiece.

-Start, now.

Soon, the staff set fire to the roof and exterior walls of the bank, which had been pre-treated to burn well.

—Keuk, Butcher Mask really…

—Don’t let him in! Block him!

As Song Yi-seol expected, the Japanese policemen from the Jongno Police Station had already been dispatched outside.

Of course, it is not to arrest the Hwangwoo Association and release the Korean hostages.

They were going to cooperate and attack if Butcher Mask appeared, but suddenly a fire broke out behind Gyeongseong Bank and even smoke bombs flew and exploded.

When they realized that it was the bastard who set the fire, the surroundings were already filled with smoke. A gleaming butcher knife violates the confused policemen.

Shuk, chwaak!

Lee Cheon-in, who killed another Japanese policeman in the smoke, immediately enters the bank.

The eyes behind Butcher Mask burn brightly with blue phosphorescence, searching for the enemy.

‘You bastards, trying to drag me out with this cowardly act…!’

He heard the whole story from the informant who was looking for him in despair, and ran like crazy, but it was too late.

He didn’t expect that the remnants of the Hwangwoo Association would plot such a thing.

Peegeuk, teok.

The inside, which he broke into while pushing open the closed door.

However, there is only smoke and no sign of anyone. Lee Cheon-in’s eyes widen as he prepared for the Hwangwoo Association’s attack.

Inside, in an empty space where the desks have been cleared, a dozen Koreans are bleeding and collapsed.

—…

The flames that burned the roof rush inside, but Lee Cheon-in stands motionless.

He couldn’t save anyone.

The Hwangwoo Association beheaded all the hostages and left, as if to mock him. The plan to cause confusion by setting a fire was a failure from the beginning.

From the beginning, they intended to kill all Koreans.

—Eum, euueup…

At that time, a faint groan is heard from inside. Lee Cheon-in, who turned his head, discovers Song Yi-seol, who is lying down with her mouth and eyes covered.

—Song Yi-seol!

Just up to here.

All the Korean hostages are dead, but the highlight of this scene is Butcher Mask saving Song Yi-seol, who is bleeding and suffocating from toxic gas, and taking her to his hideout.

A few seconds before Park Geon breaks into the entrance,

The director of photography, fully armed with fireproof clothing and a gas mask, takes a close-up shot next to the actor, and PD Jeon In-woo also sends orders to the staff outside.

-Okay, turn on the water truck right away!

Chwaaaaaaa―

A huge amount of water pours out from the large water truck to put out the fire. The inside picture came out well enough, and there are no places where the fire spread to the outside.

Now, when Park Geon picks up Baek Ha-ni and comes out, the filming will end in one take. It was when the field staff, including Jeon In-woo, were relieved.

Someone who looked at the ceiling screamed like a scream.

“Oh, up there…!”

At that moment, a scorched rafter fell above Baek Ha-ni’s head. Inevitably, the joint part was burned and lost its strength when it got wet with water and fell out.

And… Director of Photography Seo Eung-seo witnessed the actor disappearing in the lens.

‘Somehow, I had a bad feeling.’

Park Geon had been looking at the ceiling since before the field staff shouted.

It’s not a very big rafter, but if it falls from that height and weight, it will at least cause a fracture. If you hit your head, you will get a concussion or cerebral hemorrhage.

Either way, it is something that cannot be tolerated in his presence.

Pajik, pajijikㅡ!

Fortunately, the camera connecting the Iron Kingdom and him is still running. Harmony spreads out in an instant, and bright red lines are drawn in front of his eyes.

The first change when he draws out the power of the hero, a sign that his physical strength has been greatly improved.

‘It’s the first time I’m using it since returning to this world…’

A time of dividing one second into hundreds passes.

He kicks off the ground in half a breath and arrives in front of Baek Ha-ni in one breath. Even before the wooden fragments of the floor shattered by the superhuman leg strength fall.

Should I break the rafter or avoid it with her? He hesitated for a moment, but it’s better to have fewer things to be suspected of.

He hugged Baek Ha-ni and flew to the opposite wall at the same speed as he ran out and collided.

Woojikkeun, koodangtang!

“…”

No one in that place could open their mouths.

Even PD Jeon In-woo was out of his mind, and only Director of Photography Seo Eung-seo turned the camera with a professional spirit close to instinct.

There is no one under the fallen plank.

Then the actors… the actors?

In front of the wall at the end, Park Geon, who absorbed the shock with his body, is sitting down while holding Baek Ha-ni.

The gag and blindfold that had been loosely tied were released as he rolled several times.

Looking at the widened eyes that didn’t know what was going on, Park Geon uttered a question he had asked countless times.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

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