Instigator and Protector of Violence-Chapter 335: The Show Begins

Time.

The first day of shooting on Ethan’s film set.

Since the filming location had been announced in advance, there were particularly many onlookers.

Journalists and curious onlookers crowded around the Sanctuary, both inside and out, leaving hardly any space.

This should be considered one of the few lively times in the South District in recent years.

Normally, no one would want to come to the South District, as it is synonymous with poverty, filth, violence, and danger.

But today, with vehicles gathering and various people in formal attire bustling around, this place hardly feels like the South District.

Those who originally should be residents here are instead hiding far away, completely out of place.

Only Vasini remains in the crowd, maintaining his composure and calmly giving interviews.

"...I have to thank Mr. Ethan. In fact, most people don’t really know what kind of community we are, how we live, and what challenges we face. Mr. Ethan is here to tell our story, so I am grateful to him. This is also why I am willing to lend him the Sanctuary for filming."

"So you’re really not part of the Mafia?"

Inside the Sanctuary.

Ethan is already in position.

He had no choice but to play the male lead in this film.

The camera was already set up.

Finch, taking on the role of a real film cinematographer for the first time, felt a little inexperienced, also a bit uneasy, but mostly excited.

Because he was keenly aware that he was creating some kind of history.

A sound film.

He worked hard to capture Ethan’s silhouette in the frame, adjusting to find the perfect position.

The Sanctuary was dark, as it had always been.

But because they were filming, the lighting in the Sanctuary had been adjusted in advance to give the actual shoot a sense of both pitch blackness and clarity.

In the frame, Ethan stands in the depths of darkness, in front of him is the endless blackness symbolizing the Dark Savior. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

He turns his back and prays.

There are many people on set watching this scene, Finch, Kevin, and also Pupol, who came specifically for today, along with many from the Royal Capital’s art circle, half of them from the Mirror Gallery Art Society.

Of course, Ethan’s art manager, Jackson, was also present.

There were quite a few students, naturally from the Kingdom Art Academy, who Ethan had specifically asked Hughes to bring, to learn on set, equating to grooming successors for the film industry.

There were also the top-tier journalists from the Royal Capital’s most prestigious newspapers there to gather first-hand information, including, without a doubt, Herlosh.

However, at this moment, everyone remained quiet, watching Ethan’s performance silently.

Under the mystical lighting, Ethan stood there, in a place that was both dim and bright, not like someone on a stage drawing public attention, but as if he were that person, sincerely praying.

For a moment, everyone present felt a trance.

Probably because the aura around Ethan was too genuine.

Whether it’s sincerity, holiness, or a certain ritualistic feel akin to a religious ceremony, combined with the unique aura of the Sanctuary itself.

It was as if everyone had stepped into this movie together.

"O great Lord, thank you for your blessings towards my family, thank you for all the encounters you’ve granted me, love, and I also implore you to forgive my sins, supreme Dark Savior, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, Amen."

Just this prayer projected the entire scene into an infinite sense of sanctity and repentance.

People suddenly seemed to understand the core of this story, and also understood the core of Ethan’s character.

Loneliness, greatness, sin.

All of a sudden, many were covered in goosebumps.

It wasn’t until Finch, holding the camera, called out "cut," that everyone seemed to snap out of the dreamlike sensation.

After a brief silence, Pupol took the lead in starting to clap fiercely.

He previously had little understanding of this new art form called film, holding some prejudice, thinking it couldn’t compare to traditional theater and even less to painting.

However, after witnessing this shoot, he had to admit he was deeply impressed.

Just the set itself was already masterful, let alone Ethan’s performance, which was simply flawless.

"I didn’t know you had studied acting before? That was fantastic, Ethan!"

Pupol was an emotionally expressive person, always conveying whatever he felt, and at this moment, while speaking, he was heading towards Ethan.

Ethan turned around, smiling as he hugged Pupol.

"Thank you, Pupol, with you saying that, I suddenly feel much more confident."

His words made everyone chuckle, but as for his acting, everyone on set had already acknowledged it.

Of course, some folks were already making mental notes, perhaps noting that Ethan was actually part of the Mafia, and without formal acting training, he still convinced as a mafia character.

Regardless, Ethan’s debut had already achieved tremendous success.

This will undoubtedly boost the momentum of his film.

Inspired by Ethan’s performance, Pupol immediately announced joining the creative team, offering his talents for the film’s subsequent scenography.

Many artists shared the same thought.

Some even expressed their interest in being part of the cast.

For them, film was still too novel, seemingly full of endless possibilities.

Ethan naturally wished for all of them to join in the creative endeavor.

Especially, considering he was actually short on composers, and coincidentally, there were artists from the music world present at the scene.

In just one opening act, Ethan gathered all the film talents he needed together.

In places unseen by the crowd, farther south within the South District.

In Little Ibia, the performers were warming up on the real stage.

Hard-headed Mo Lun was looking north.

He knew it was lively there today, yet this liveliness made him feel extremely uneasy.

The Martinos Clan had been quiet for a while since that shipment incident, seemingly absorbed in their own bootlegging business, ignoring the world’s changes.

Yet only those past allies knew, he definitely wasn’t doing nothing.

This was an intuition as an enemy.

They knew, danger was approaching.

Especially, for some unknown reason, that famous artist Ethan suddenly filming in the South District had drawn in many outsiders and attention.

What exactly were they aiming to do?

The man called Ethan, though questionable to outsiders whether he was Mafia, those truly mired in the underworld were aware, this fellow was indeed Mafia, the underground king of northern Wenster.

The war is about to begin.

And those to first detect the war’s footsteps are surely the bottommost layer of soil.

"Distribute everything, no one is allowed to hoard, or I will surely see them dead."

Mo Lun fiercely instructed his subordinates.

His opportunities were running out, he could already feel his father’s murderous intent gripping his throat.

This performance could not go wrong.