311. The Special Effects That Were Indistinguishable from Reality
When Rice, one of Leike's friends and a producer, saw the giant wolf that towered like a mountain, the last trace of doubt in his heart was dispelled.
The texture of that giant wolf's fur is something that ordinary special effects studios definitely cannot achieve.
The rendering of hair has always been a major challenge for special effects teams. At the beginning of the century, an industry leader went bankrupt trying to create realistic hair and almost had to close down.
Even now, most films use a cheaper and more conservative approach to the hair of virtual characters. They either fix the hair and only make a few fixed movement trajectories, or if they have extra resources, they separate some models to make subtle movements. The kind of special effects that used to make every single hair move regardless of cost was too much effort and not worth the effort.
But the giant wolf's fur was incredibly detailed.
Those who have owned pets may have noticed that when an animal is in the sunlight, its fur reveals more detail. Many of these fur hairs are longer than the fur that covers most of its body. As the animal moves, the movement of these fur hairs is also very complex, and it is not something that can be shown by a few simple swaying motions.
Rice himself owns a husky that loves to destroy things, and that's why when he saw the giant wolf's fur, he was instantly reminded of his own silly dog.
This almost made him think the director used real animal fur for the filming, but the subsequent appearance of a smaller winter wolf shaking off from the giant wolf's fur dispelled that idea. There was no doubt that it was a special effects shot.
This is such a realistic shot!
With the appearance of the giant wolf, the story reached its true climax.
The boulders launched their catapults, shattering the charging wolf pack. The surging wolf pack quickly closed in, bypassing the Stone and rushing forward. The sight was simply breathtaking. Rice held his breath, as if he himself had become a member of the city's defenses. Facing the oppressive wolf pack, he couldn't help but tremble.
He felt as if he had returned to his childhood, to the time when he was accidentally locked in a warehouse, in that cold, dark, damp, and cramped space, experiencing a fear that stemmed from instinct.
As the wolf pack approached the fortress, a beam of light suddenly rose up.
The appearance of this light immediately warmed Rice, whose nerves were already stretched to the limit.
All the tension, anxiety, and fear vanished, as if this ray of light alone could withstand everything.
And the wolves did indeed lose momentum under the light, as if they were afraid of the light.
One beam after another of light rose in this snowy world, giving people a feeling of warmth, like a candle shining brightly on a cold, rainy night.
Rice didn't notice was that the others in the screening room also had dazed expressions, like babies seeing milk, children seeing toys, or adults seeing milk.
This feeling is like hope.
At this moment, the people in the screening room had forgotten their original purpose; they were completely immersed in the fierce battle between humans and monsters.
The more you immerse yourself in it, the more desperate you become.
The ever-growing wolf packs, along with the shadows and plague that followed, made the fortress's defenses crumble. The towering pillar of light seemed to have truly become a flickering candle in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment.
In this desperate situation, Rice had no idea how to turn the tide.
Although it was mentioned before that the arrival of reinforcements might have made it possible to hold the line, given the current situation, how can we possibly wait for reinforcements to arrive?
The Blood Moon hanging high in the sky was like a countdown to death, making people feel helpless and afraid.
At this moment, the monk next to Birmingham stepped forward.
He has an Asian appearance, handsome and resolute. In the previous storyline, he seemed to be a friend of Birmingham and had a good relationship with another mage.
He donned a cloak, mounted his warhorse, and charged out into the raging wolf pack.
The spell's protection manifested on him, and he charged forward, seemingly wanting to fight the giant wolf that towered like a mountain.
He raised his hand, and a bright light burst forth from it, dispelling the wolves, the darkness, and the green mist.
Although the surrounding area was still a vast expanse of white, and the whole world was still engulfed in a blizzard, the light in the knight's hand was like the last torch in the darkness, illuminating the only hope.
Surprisingly, the mage's seemingly reckless charge actually slowed down the monsters' advance. For a moment, most of the winter wolves halted their attacks, as if focusing their attention on the mage.
Boom—
The giant wolf, as large as a mountain, seemed to stand up, causing the earth to shake, but it could not stop the light from advancing.
Countless winter wolves roared like tsunamis, obscuring the only light.
Rice's heart clenched; his hope, like that last glimmer of light, had been extinguished.
At that moment, even more people stood up.
The Rangers, who had been in despair, were inspired by the mage's charge. They picked up their weapons and fought like madmen.
On the other side, the winter wolf, as tall as a mountain, arrived at the spot where the mage had fallen.
There, the monk was covered in wounds, on the verge of death, and almost breathless.
It could have killed the mage outright, but it seemed the mage's bravery had piqued the interest of the Winter Wolf leader, who wanted to torture the mage and drive humanity to utter despair.
But at that moment, the mage suddenly opened his eyes, and with his last bit of strength, he triggered another Flash.
The majestic Wei Ran, like a giant wave atop a mountain, was actually shaken by this.
Just then, a bugle sounded.
On the mountain peak beyond the fortress, a flag appeared.
Accompanied by the long, drawn-out sound of bugles, more flags were raised high.
Banners fluttered, horns blared, and countless knights on horseback appeared there.
It was obvious that the support came from the rear.
Just like the end of a long night, when dawn finally arrives.
"!!!"
Rice couldn't help but jump up; such an exciting scene always gets people excited, no matter when it happens.
After all, a man is a boy until he dies.
Countless knights swooped down from the high slope, while countless beams of light burst forth from the hands of these heavily armored mages, sweeping away everything in their path, like blazing daggers piercing the frozen ice. Amidst the interplay of silver and gray, a flash of light appeared.
Rice felt a surge of emotion, even bringing tears to her eyes.
The silver blade flew towards the mountain-like giant wolf that had been wounded by the mage. In an instant, the storm was dispersed, and sunlight burst forth from behind the knights, illuminating the earth.
In this composition, one side is a snow-covered shadow, a huge winter wolf, a pack of wolves everywhere, shadows and eerie green mist, while the other side is a knight in silver armor, accompanied by colorful magic, sunlight piercing the darkness.
Rice were already filled with tears.