Młynar's penultimate scene, the Nivelle Offensive / Młynar's anger laid bare

"... Surprise, fear?"

"Yes, the power of the Royal Court Fear—but that's all." The Bloodborne Archon nodded, saying calmly, "They will only become more wary of us. Just because of the immense power I alone have displayed, they won't change their opinion of the Sarkaz race in any way."

"But what if, with the assistance of our Sarkaz Legion, we joined forces with the Victoria army to repel the Ursus Army Group's attack and gradually recapture Doren County? What would you think then?"

"Of course you will still be afraid, but you are not only afraid of me, but of the power of the entire Sarkaz race—that is why the general wanted me to come and keep order, but sent the Sarkaz legion along with me."

"What we need to demonstrate is the victory of the Sarkaz. Only in this way can we prove our clan's strength, force the Dukes of Victoria to support us, and stand on the side of 'righteousness'."

The Bloodborne Archon naturally understood Theresis's actions. In fact, he was increasingly able to understand the path Theresis wanted to lead the Sarkaz on—although he didn't entirely agree with it, he had no objections if it could make the Sarkaz race stronger.

The only thing the Bloodborne Archon was worried about was that in the future, their Regent King would turn against the Royal Court... The Royal Court's support for Theresis was actually not high at the moment. In fact, because of Theresis's actions in Londinium recently, the kings of the Royal Court, who could not see any real results, had already begun to have some complaints about the Regent King.

And then there's that director named Chen Qi... It seems the Regent wants to use him to integrate the Sarkaz into this land, to make Sarkaz an equal to other races, rather than the rulers.

This was unacceptable to the Bloodborne Archon. He couldn't bear to see any race standing on equal footing with the Sarkaz... He wanted to wage a war that would establish the Sarkaz nation! To make the other races of this land remember once again the terror of the Sarkaz!

"--Tell everyone in our legion to show no mercy to the enemy, to use the Sarkaz tactics we've always known, to let fear devour our enemies, and even our allies, it doesn't matter."

"Strive to cripple, then kill, let this battlefield... be filled with the cries and agony of those Ursus people!"

The Bloodborne Archon gave this order, and at the same time, in the Mobile City of Leithania and Victoria, where they were locked in a standoff, the oppressive aura of the King of Scavengers was no less than that of the Bloodborne Archon's cruelty.

"Come, your flesh and blood will become nourishment for our race."

"Feed on death, drink from fear, howl and cry!"

"This is all the Carrion Eaters will bring you."

The King of Scavengers did not bring his army of Carrion Eaters with him; however, like the Bloodborne Archon, he could grant new life—simply by unleashing his Originium Arts on some corpses, he could create a vast "army of Carrion Eaters."

Of course, it's the lowest level. The King of Scavengers doesn't want to acknowledge these as his blood relatives; they're just Originium Arts creations that he can easily make.

However, the Originium Arts of the King of Scavengers, at first glance, seem very similar to those of Ablana, the leader of the [Deep Pool]—but his existence is truly capable of influencing the course of a war; he possesses genuine war-level Originium Arts!

"Are we really going to cooperate with this monster?!"

The Victoria soldiers who witnessed this scene found it extremely difficult to accept that their ally was actually Sarkaz, and what was even more difficult to accept was that this Sarkaz commander could actually control corpses!

However, the arrival of the King of Scavengers truly brought about an overwhelming qualitative change to the battlefield. Under Theresis's instructions, the King of Scavengers did not choose to manipulate the corpses of Victoria's civilians and soldiers to create Carrion Eaters army.

But even so, the oppressive aura emanating from the King of Scavengers was enough to shake all the Victoria. And to this, the Sarkaz Legion responded to the Victoria officers:

"Those are cruel monsters to the enemy. You should be glad we're on your side now, Victoria."

"So, do you want to help launch a counterattack now, or do you not want to join the enemy's corpses? Is your determination to protect Victoria just a joke?"

"--Everyone, prepare to cooperate with the Carrion Eaters army! We are about to launch our first counterattack against the Leithania Legion!"

However, Sarkaz's words made the Victoria officer react immediately, and almost instantly, reason suppressed the discomfort brought on by emotion, and he immediately ordered everyone to prepare for the attack.

"Don't feel uncomfortable, these corpses belong to the enemy, and they are for the defense of our Victoria —suppress your discomfort!"

"That's more like it." The Sarkaz nodded in agreement. However, many Sarkaz were also somewhat uncomfortable with this scene, but having become accustomed to the cruelty of the battlefield, they did not react as violently as Sarkaz soldiers of Victoria.

The Sarkaz's intervention undoubtedly provided Victoria with tremendous assistance, but it also inadvertently increased the pressure on everyone on both sides... the pressure of war.

For them, the war has only truly begun now.

The gates of hell have only just opened for them, and after witnessing hell, how many of them will not go mad in the war...? All we can do is pray that this war ends soon.

Chapter 102: The Penultimate Scene of Młynar, The Nivelle Offensive

The wars outside are escalating due to the Sarkaz's involvement, and Ursus declaration of war against Leithania and Sarkaz is explosive news for both countries. In particular, the successive arrivals of the Bloodborne Archon and the King of Scavengers have made the two countries that are still holding on quite tense.

However, their response was swift. The pro-war nobles on the Ursus side immediately dispatched the Fourth Army Group to support the front lines, while the Eighth Army Group was responsible for suppressing the Victoria territory captured by the Ursus Army Group in the rear, consolidating logistical support, and handling logistical work for civilians captured from Victoria in industrial and agricultural areas.

It can be said that the entire nation of Ursus is now working towards the battle on the front lines. Captured civilians and Infected are doing their best to provide logistical support. The battlefield on the front lines cannot be lost. Even if it is impossible to continue advancing, the positions must be held.

Ursus now operates on a single principle: to relocate as many Victoria civilians and Infected as possible from the occupied territories to Ursus's rear, allowing them to dedicate their manpower to logistics and industrial zones to support the war machine.

This is different from Kazimierz, where they seize a Mobile City and immediately run away. Ursus's biggest need is people, the productivity and security that population brings.

This is why Ursus wasn't afraid even after razing half of Doren County to the ground; they never intended to Mobile City, but rather to acquire prisoners who could provide productivity.

The addition of two army groups has officially launched this war. Although the pressure on the front lines has not increased, there is no doubt that a more brutal and unscrupulous war will torment everyone's nerves day after day.

As for Leithania, the Leithania army, which had been unable to make any breakthroughs, received not only more supplies, but also Leithania's true elite force— the Golden Law Guard.

It's easy to imagine the current state of the war in Victoria. The two-front war has put Victoria in a predicament. Fortunately, the eight dukes are fulfilling their duties and are now united against external threats. In addition, with the continuous influx of Victoria's citizens and the support of the Sarkaz, this war has begun a long and drawn-out war of attrition.

As time goes by, the uplifting effect that "Darkest Hour" brought to the people of Victoria is slowly fading. The cruelty of war is also constantly awakening the fantasies of those civilians and soldiers who harbor the passion to defend their homeland and even hope to make a name for themselves on the battlefield.

The cruelty of war has only just begun... and this is also true for Chen Qi and his group, who are not in reality.

Chen Qi's crew, along with the lead actors, had almost forgotten how long they had actually been inside the painting.

As the filming progressed, the battlefield conditions became increasingly dire, giving the crew a chance to catch their breath outside the painted canvas and avoid becoming completely immersed in the war depicted in the painting.

However, none of the four main characters— Młynar, Patriot, Margaret, and Maria —were willing to leave the painting on their own initiative.

It wasn't that Chen Qi against it; in fact, he had suggested several times that they temporarily leave the painting and seek psychological guidance from Kal'tsit of Rhodes Island, but the four main actors all refused.

"The battle is escalating rapidly... Every second we delay here means another person might die on the other side."

"If we can't stop all of this before a real war breaks out, before the balance is broken... our performance now is extremely important."

"We're filming what could be the greatest anti-war movie ever made on this land, how can we give up after encountering such a small difficulty?"

The two sisters from the Nearl Family were both very conscientious. Even though they were almost tormented by the battlefield painted by Xi to the point of being unable to distinguish between reality and the painting, they still chose to immerse themselves in the battlefield. They knew that only in this way could they deliver the best performance.

"What we are facing is merely a harmless painting. But many more people perish in reality."

"What we are doing is a great thing, Director Chen Qi, there's no need to worry."

Even Patriot, who had been suffering from his PTSD attacks countless times during this period, still gave Chen Qi the same answer. In the end, Chen Qi had no choice but to agree to continue filming, but asked FrostNova to take good care of Patriot's condition.

Chen Qi has decided that after filming "Braveheart" is finished, he will take the entire crew away from war for a while. Afterwards, they may film some lighter-themed TV series or movies, and at least for a short period of time, they will not be involved in war-themed projects.

Among the crew, if we were to ask who was most tormented by the war depicted in this painting, some might think it was Maria, who was new to the industry and already experiencing such a situation, while others might think it was Patriot, who was frequently punished for PTSD. But in reality, the person who was tormented the most was Młynar.

But Młynar never spoke. He understood that now was not the time for him to say he was tired... Everyone was working hard to complete this unprecedented film, and he certainly wouldn't slack off at this time.

But the continuous fighting over countless days had left this wandering knight utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally... yet he couldn't even find a way to vent his frustrations.

In yesterday's scene, Emil, who plays Młynar, is sent to the tunnels to rescue the Gaul who are digging tunnels and planting explosives. They are trapped inside the tunnels due to a series of explosions, and his job is to rescue them.

In this segment, Chen Qi even refrained from providing Młynar with a script for the best filming results, only giving him some lines and letting him deliver them as appropriate, while allowing him to act according to his own will.

Młynar didn't refuse at the time. His mind was already exhausted by the simulated battlefield—he knew everything around him was fake, but sometimes... even knowing it's fake, people feel more pressured by something fake, let alone these lives, so vividly real.

This kind of rescue scene actually made him feel relaxed; he rescued quite a few soldiers in that scene—both from Gaul and Leithania.

After being rescued, one of the Leithania officers even managed to escape the bomb-ridden tunnels alongside Młynar. When the Leithania soldiers saw Młynar, this brief acquaintance intervened to stop them.

He released Młynar, and just as Młynar had saved his life, he repaid Młynar with the same kindness.

But after Młynar crawled out of the tunnel, what he saw was a Gaul detonating all the Originium explosives buried in the tunnel.

With a violent explosion, everything beneath the tunnel was buried... including the nameless Leithania officer whom Młynar had only briefly met.

At that moment, Młynar remained silent for an entire day as the Gaul celebrated the victory of the bombing.

Despite the Gaul's encouragement for his heroic act and the medal he personally pinned on his head, Młynar casually tossed it into the fire.

"This damn war..." Młynar spoke only once, as he watched the medal in the fire being burned, a complaint tinged with countless anger and suppressed emotions.

After a few days of rest, Młynar emerged from the shadow of that incident, and this time, Chen Qi approached Młynar again, asking him to film his penultimate scene.

"The penultimate scene? Is my part almost over?"

"Yes, after this scene, Mr. Młynar, your war scenes will be finished. Once we finish filming the last scene, the core content of our film will be complete."

Chen Qi nodded, gazing at Młynar, who had become noticeably more haggard over the past few days. Her slightly pale face, her graying and dull hair thanks to makeup, her unkempt beard, and the bloodshot eyes—all these elements perfectly portrayed the image of a veteran who had been severely tormented by war.

Unfortunately, Chen Qi can only torment Młynar one more time now. Młynar's current repressed state is extremely rare, and what Chen Qi wants is the scene of Młynar's repression reaching its extreme and finally exploding.

This effect is what makes this scene in "Braveheart" a truly classic moment. It allows the audience's emotions to erupt and serves as the perfect prelude to the emotional release in the final plot.

"... Still no script?" Młynar nodded, but he probably realized what Chen Qi was going to do. After all, everyone was already very familiar with the "immersive" performance method that Chen Qi had used during his time in the painting.

"Yes, everything is up to you, Mr. Młynar. You just need to carry out the tasks assigned to you by the officers inside and do your best to stay alive."

Chen Qi once again used the same method of not revealing anything to Młynar, and this time, he didn't even prepare any lines for Młynar.

After receiving these instructions, Młynar nodded in understanding. Only after Młynar stepped onto the battlefield, where no one was moving at the moment, did Xi's figure slowly emerge from beside Chen Qi.

"... Is this alright?" Xi watched Młynar's departing figure, a hint of hesitation appearing on her face for the first time. She asked Chen Qi beside her:

"I think his mental state is about to collapse. If he were to experience another high-intensity battlefield situation like this... no one knows what might happen."

"--If necessary, we might have to trouble you, Xi, to get us all out of the painting." Chen Qi, clearly having prepared a backup plan, gave Xi a troubled smile and said:

"If Mr. Młynar really has a meltdown inside the painting, let's leave him there alone until he's calmed down, then we'll bring him out."

"... Should I say I'm glad I'm just a painter and don't have to make so many cruel choices?" Xi was speechless. She knew Chen Qi was pursuing the best effect, and Xi was just like Chen Qi, doing everything she could to achieve the best effect for her work.

During the filming process, Xi admired Chen Qi greatly, and through another form, she witnessed many emotions that painting could not convey to her.

"Let's hope all of this makes sense—shall we begin?" Xi nodded, indicating to Chen Qi that filming could begin. She only needed to wave her sword, and all the soldiers here would move like real people, and then filming would officially begin.

"Alright, everyone, get ready! Battle of the Chemin des Dames, Nivelle Offensive! Get ready to film!"

With Chen Qi's command, Xi's greatsword swung down once more, and in an instant, all life on the battlefield where Młynar was located came back to life.

Faced with everything around him that was all too real, the eerie wind blowing from the battlefield strewn with corpses made even the usually healthy Młynar cough a few times...

Upon hearing that this was his second scene, even though Chen Qi hadn't given him a script, Młynar knew that the character he was playing was probably about to die on the battlefield—he didn't feel anything about it, and even felt a little relieved, finally about to escape this hellish place.

Having stayed in such a place for so long, death has become a kind of relief. Młynar knows he can't die now because there's still one last scene, but he's now resigned to the fact that he has to die.

He'd already endured so much, there probably wouldn't be any scenes that could be more stimulating to his nerves... Młynar sincerely prayed this, but clearly, Chen Qi wouldn't grant Młynar's wish.

Chapter 103: Młynar's Already Publicly Displayed Fury

Chen Qi was naturally familiar with the Battle of the Nobles' Way. It was a battle that occurred during First World War in his world, causing mutinies in several France corps. Now, Chen Qi was bringing it to the big screen. Even without specifically mentioning which battle it was, such battles were still countless in that Battle of the Four Emperors.

This has nothing to do with which world Chen Qi is in. In any world, war is brutal, and in war, human life is the least valuable thing.

Młynar's portrayal of Emil once again brought the brutality of war to life. In the film, Emil was still recovering from his illness, the battle had been raging for a long time, and many of his comrades were still wearing their belts, their clothes were tattered, and blood was still flowing from their wounds...

At this moment, however, an uninvited guest broke the peace: a menacing Gaul general.

"Get moving! You lazy bunch! I am General Nivelle! I now order you, any soldier who can stand and fight, any soldier who can still lift a weapon! Stand up!"

"We are about to launch a campaign that could end the war! I command you all to stand up! Charge with me! If we can bypass the Leithania Legion's defenses and attack them from the flank, we can advance straight into their lines and take their front!"

"--That's suicide." Młynar, unusually, seemed taken aback by the grand attack plan proposed by this general who called himself Nivelle. Even if such a plan were feasible, how many soldiers would survive the assault on the Leithania army's lines?

How many attacks from the "Golden Law Guard" would they face along the way? How many bombardments of Originium Arts from the Leithania sorcerers? This was practically a suicide attack!

"* Gaul slang*! Who gave you permission to question my decisions?! A soldier's duty is to execute, not to question!"

However, Młynar's words enraged the Gaul general, and instantly, a Gaul saber was pressed less than a centimeter from Młynar's nose. The Gaul general shouted:

"Go and gather the soldiers! Follow me and attack! Now!"

"..."

Młynar didn't answer. He just silently, but wearily, turned his head and randomly called over a few soldiers who seemed to still be able to move, to join him in this war that was destined to be a fight to the death.

"Shhh!!"

With a whistle, the general brandished his Gaul sword and launched an attack. Under the general's command, all the soldiers who were capable of attacking continued to charge despite their wounded bodies. However, the general remained at the rear, closely protected by a dozen or so Gaul.

Almost after all the soldiers had rushed forward, the general and his men, having confirmed that it was basically safe, followed closely behind.

By the time he charged forward, countless Gaul had already perished under the bombardment of the Leithania sorcerers' Originium Arts.

Along the way, the gloomy sky, the continuous explosions of Originium Arts, and even the constant charges and counterattacks by the knights of the Leithania army—all of this caused heavy casualties to the Gaul army that launched the attack.

"No retreat! Keep charging!"

Behind them, the Gaul general's intense supervision kept the Gaul soldiers from retreating. Meanwhile, men around Młynar were constantly falling, dying at the hands of Originium Arts or the enemies of Leithania.

Everyone is going crazy, everyone is acting recklessly—here, cowardice seems to have become shameful, and death has become the most weightless thing.

"No retreat! Attack! Attack!"

At the general's command, a Gaul stepped forward to cut the barbed wire blocking the road, but he was bombarded and wounded by Leithania sorcerers before he could even begin.

"Come over!"

Młynar rushed out almost instinctively. At that moment, his body functions almost forgot to conceal themselves, and he rescued his comrade from the Originium Arts of the Leithania sorcerer as quickly as possible.