Superstar From Age 0

Chapter 224

“Wire! Wire!”

“Where should I put the chroma key?!”

“Are all the stuntmen here?”

The set of Shadowman 3 was bustling since morning. 

The staff were busy preparing for the shooting. 

The staff with walkie-talkies gestured here and there. 

They saw two people in their sight.

“Oh, Seo-jun! Welcome!”

“Hello.”

“Good luck with the shooting today!”

“Thank you.”

The staff who were familiar with Seo-jun greeted him as he headed to the set. 

Seo-jun also smiled brightly and did not hide his happy mood.

He and Anh Da Ho widened their eyes as they passed through the open door of the studio, which was not yet ready for shooting.

The place where they stepped was an ancient temple.

There were rows of straight pillars, and colorful patterns were engraved on the ceiling and floor. 

Unlike the white marble of the temples in Greece, it was a sand-colored pillar, but it suited better. If you followed the path, there was a huge door at the end.

There were modern things like wires, lights, cranes, etc., but the ancient temple that filled the studio occupied Seo-jun and Anh Da Ho’s sight.

The staff who passed by smiled at the two who were looking around with blank faces. 

The staff also gazed at the completed set when they first saw it.

Seo-jun and Anh Da Ho finally exclaimed at the huge set.

“Wow. It’s amazing, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

The Hollywood set seemed to break its own record every time they saw it. 

They were about to look around the set more, but Jonathan greeted them as usual.

“Come on. Seo-jun. You came early?”

“I wanted to come early. Jonathan. The set is really cool.”

Jonathan shrugged at Seo-jun’s words.

You don’t know how much effort I put into making this from concept art to production. I was more picky than usual because of Ryan’s director, who checked everything carefully.

“I’ve heard that before.”

Jonathan chuckled at Seo-jun’s words. Jonathan also remembered saying something similar when he filmed Shadowman 2.

“Well, but it’s cooler than the memorial hall.”

“Right?”

Seo-jun turned his head and looked at the set.

It reminded him of the Library of Life, and he wanted to look around more, but the staff were covering the set with a bright green cloth. 

The chroma key was installed on the ancient temple that looked mysterious.

Jonathan smiled and said at Seo-jun’s regretful expression.

“It was supposed to be installed before you came, but the chroma key installation is not done yet. The wire line got tangled up.”

That’s why they looked busy.

“I’m glad I came early. I almost missed this amazing set.”

“Haha. That’s good. I’ll have to tell the chroma key team and wire team.”

Seo-jun nodded his head, and Jonathan continued.

“They’re really sorry. They worked hard to prepare, but they delayed the work because of them. Well, no matter how perfectly you prepare, there’s always something wrong with this job, so you don’t have to be sorry. But if you say that you could see this amazing set thanks to them, they might feel a little better.”

As he spoke, Jonathan looked at the chroma key team and wire team. 

Seo-jun blinked his eyes at Jonathan’s quick eyes.

When he filmed with Jonathan before, he was just doing errands or helping out here and there, but now he was different. 

He even cared about the feelings of the staff who made mistakes. 

He looked like a real director. It seemed that Jack Smith was not the only one who grew up fast.

-Jonathan.

He heard someone calling Jonathan on the walkie-talkie.

“Yes. Wait a minute. It won’t take long. You can finish it by the time Seo-jun is ready. I’ll go check it out.”

“Okay.”

Jonathan waved his hand and disappeared. He looked more mature than usual. Seo-jun felt strange but proud of him.

“Let’s get ready too.”

“Yes. Anh Da Ho hyung.”

***

Seo-jun came out after changing into Jin Natra’s clothes and finishing his makeup. 

As Jonathan promised, the chroma key installation was done.

The green-covered ancient temple looked completely different from before, and Seo-jun and Anh Da Ho paused for a moment without thinking.

“You’re lucky you saw it earlier, right?”

“Yeah. I didn’t know it would change so much.”

They felt grateful to the chroma key team and wire team who made mistakes earlier because of the different atmosphere.

On the set where everything was ready for shooting, stuntmen wearing wire vests were rehearsing.

“One, two, three!”

At the signal, a stuntman hanging on a wire was pulled back and buried in a green chroma key. 

Wasn’t the wall behind him hard? 

He looked closely and saw that it was installed with a soft mat.

“Stuntman 2!”

“Yes!”

The stuntman who was called rolled on the floor. 

Then some were dragged by wires and hit the chroma key on the wall and door, and some rolled on the floor.

The martial arts director and Ryan director checked the order, direction, and appearance of the stuntmen and talked.

Meanwhile, the stuntman team leader who managed the stuntmen gave advice to each one.

“Make sure you stretch well!”

They took a break for a moment to check for the next rehearsal.

Ryan director, who was rubbing his sore eyes, saw Seo-jun who was ready.

Ryan director and Seo-jun made eye contact and smiled.

“Hello. Director.”

“Seo-jun. You look good.”

“Right? It’s comfortable because there’s nothing uncomfortable.”

Ryan director nodded at Seo-jun who was wearing Jin Natra’s clothes and stretching this way and that.

“Let’s do the final rehearsal!”

This time, they rehearsed with Seo-jun. The stuntmen flew here and there according to Seo-jun’s lines, gestures, and martial arts director’s signals.

“Good.”

Ryan director, who watched the rehearsal, said.

“Let’s start shooting.”

Jonathan Will assistant director shouted loudly.

“Shooting starts!”

***

There was one thing that was most important on Natra planet.

The time stone, the source of life for the Natrains who lived on Natra planet.

The place where this white time stone was stored was the underground temple of Natra palace.

Someone stepped into this underground temple, where even the king of Natra planet, Tul Natra, could not enter unless it was a designated day.

[The Knight’s Code of the (Evil) Death Knight – Intermediate level is activated.]

[The level of The Knight’s Code of the (Evil) Death Knight – Intermediate level is temporarily lowered.]

[The Knight’s Code of the (Evil) Death Knight – Low level is activated.]

Who would dare to intrude into this sacred underground temple? 

The temple knights, who were guarding it leisurely since there had never been such an incident in the long history, turned their heads at once.

They felt a huge power coming from the stairs leading to the temple. 

The knights sensed something strange and straightened their posture.

The stuntmen wearing knight costumes were tense. 

They had turned their heads without realizing it a while ago.

The staff outside the set were the same. 

They saw the actor who drew people’s attention with just his appearance, and Ryan director’s eyes sparkled.

The intruder’s figure was revealed. 

The temple knights relaxed a bit at the familiar face, but they couldn’t hide their discomfort at their own nerves that were tight. 

They had a bad feeling.

Jin Natra, who wore a black formal suit that he only wore for official ceremonies, walked along the path lined with pillars. 

His black cloak fluttered slightly with his steps.

The large camera lens reflected Jin Natra’s shadow and Jin Natra, shaking with the light on the wall. 

They felt their hearts pounding as Jin Natra took a step forward, and the staff swallowed their saliva.

“Jin-nim.”

What are those guys guarding the entrance doing? 

A knight who cursed inwardly blocked Jin Natra’s way.

“You can’t come in here.”

Even if he was the king of Natra planet, he couldn’t go there unless it was a designated day. 

Jin Natra, who was not even a successor yet, but only a candidate, had no right to enter the temple.

They didn’t point their weapons at him, but the knights’ eyes were unanimous.

‘He’s not even a Natrain, just a candidate…’

The knight who blocked Jin Natra’s way gave him a sour look. 

And then,

Bang!

He hit the wall.

“!”

He didn’t have time to react. 

Jin Natra’s shadow grabbed his ankle and swung him like catching prey. 

The knight who hit the wall didn’t move, as if he had lost consciousness.

The wire team staff trembled. 

He had told them not to make mistakes, but he almost missed the timing while watching Seo-jun’s acting.

‘But…’

The wire team staff looked at Seo-jun’s feet. 

He looked at it again, which had made him regain his senses.

‘Didn’t the shadow move?’

The knights showed clear hostility and made swords and spears out of shadows. The sharp black blades flew towards Jin Natra. 

His expression didn’t change even when the blades were pushed in front of his neck. 

A heavy tension settled in the ancient temple.

“Get out of my way.”

Jin Natra’s shadow swept over the knights like a wave.

The staff outside the set held their breath.

There was nothing.

There was nothing, but the stuntmen who showed the planned action looked like they were really attacked. 

They knew it was just being pulled by wires and hitting the chroma key on the wall, door, and floor, but they couldn’t erase that thought.

A stuntman hit the soft green chroma key mat with a thud! It looked like the soft green chroma key cushioned the stuntman safely, but for some reason, it seemed like they heard a loud bang! in their ears.

Some of them exchanged glances among many staff members.

“…Why does it look like there’s a shadow?”

Seo-jun Lee, no, Jin Natra’s shadow grew bigger and attacked all the temple knights.

Jin Natra opened the huge door in front of him.

“Cut, OK!”

Ryan director’s voice rang out loudly. 

A warm wind blew with the OK sound.

The stuntmen who were awkwardly rolling on the floor after being attacked by Jin Natra got up one by one. 

The stuntmen who were pulled by wires and hit the wall also came down slowly to the ground.

The stuntmen who stepped on the floor felt some aftereffects from being pulled by wires, even though they expected it. 

They stretched lightly.

The first one who hit the green chroma key wall twisted his ankle a few times.

“Are you okay? Did you get hurt?”

“Ah, no…”

“What?! You got hurt?”

The stuntman team leader who was checking this and that for the next shooting reacted to his words. 

Everyone lowered their heads at his sharp ears. 

The stuntman waved his hand.

“I’m not hurt. I’m fine!”

“Be careful. You can’t get hurt.”

“Yes!”

The team leader pointed at his own eyes with his index and middle fingers and then pointed at him. It was a gesture that meant he was watching. 

The stuntmen smiled awkwardly.

“But why?”

“Well, I thought someone really grabbed my ankle. But I guess not.”

He felt something lightly wrapping and squeezing his ankle, but it seemed like it was just his imagination. 

Seo-jun, who heard the stuntmen’s story, scratched his cheek.

[The Shadow Art of the (Evil) Mashad – Intermediate Low level]

It is the shadow art of the parasitic demon race, Mashad.

You can manipulate shadows freely.

[Caution] It consumes magic power if you use it for a long time.

[The level of The Shadow Art of the (Evil) Mashad – Intermediate Low level is temporarily lowered.]

[The Shadow Art of the (Evil) Mashad – Low level]

It is the shadow art of the parasitic demon race, Mashad.

You can manipulate shadows freely.

Mashad is a demon race that parasitizes on living creatures’ shadows.

The longer they stay in the shadow, the more they slowly erode the creature from the toes. 

They eventually devour them up to their hair.

‘Hmm. It seems like some people have seen it, right?’

Seo-jun looked at Ryan director who was monitoring. 

With [The Prayer of the (Good) Orc Priest], Ryan director’s concentration was high. 

Maybe he would make a better CG than ‘Evil Spirit’ if he saw the shadow.