War showed no mercy: the light of humanity, snuffed out again and again / Terra's soldiers agreed: the blocking detachments should have died long ago!

Although not interested in the movie, the Bloodborne Archon was very curious about how Chen Qi would use this film to change the course of the war. He immediately noticed the Patriot was in the movie, who was the Wendigo he had met a few times in Londinium, and who had not participated in the blood sacrifice for a long time.

"A movie that even a Wendigo can star in... maybe it's still worth watching."

Because the Bloodborne Archon knew very well that since Chen Qi had put Patriot on the big screen, his Sarkaz character could not possibly be a weakling. He had originally thought that Chen Qi's "Braveheart" would use countless minor characters like Emil from the beginning to depict a war from the perspective of the weak.

But now it seems that even the minor characters in this movie are quite strong; after all, Sarkaz, with his burning desire for revenge, is undoubtedly extremely powerful.

The subsequent plot seemed to confirm the Bloodborne Archon's speculation. Patriot's portrayal of "Freddy" displayed extraordinary courage during the war. He took on the most difficult task of blowing up the bridge, but he showed no fear. With the Sarkaz's rich battlefield experience and individual combat capabilities, Patriot's Freddy truly delivered a powerful performance, fulfilling everyone's expectations for the formidable fighting prowess that everyone had been anticipating in Emil's storyline.

At this moment, even the Sarkaz mercenaries who were initially uninterested were captivated by Patriot's outstanding performance. For these mercenaries, they understood Patriot's strength better than anyone else—even though they didn't recognize him as Wendigo due to the excellent makeup and the fact that Patriot's size was slightly reduced.

However, the Patriot's outstanding performance still attracted their attention, and some couldn't help but cheer:

"As expected, such a difficult task still has to be left to us Sarkaz. No army knows how to fight better than us."

"His reaction speed is surprisingly quick, even though he looks a bit too muscular."

In the end, the Patriot breached the fortress, tore up the Leithania flag, and roared from the rooftop, a scene that drew cheers from the Sarkaz.

Okay! This movie is finally starting to get interesting!

Sure enough, the little old man's role was too childish. War movies really need a protagonist who can help everyone win the war!

Patriot had only been on the scene a short time when his outstanding performance made everyone forget Freddy's previous views on war. After all, for these soldiers who wanted to vent their emotions, nothing could stir their nerves more than such a simple and easy-to-understand war hero.

Everyone who goes to the battlefield fantasizes about being invincible and becoming a hero with outstanding achievements, and the Patriot character clearly satisfied these soldiers' simple desire for catharsis through his outstanding performance.

Even Ursus and Leithania, who had been somewhat worried about whether the film's subject matter would be anti-war due to Freddy's earlier appearance, couldn't help but relax.

But some people, not blinded by the war, noticed something was amiss... Horn frowned subconsciously and muttered to himself:

"Emil's earlier appearances... shouldn't have been meaningless? Is this movie told from the perspectives of multiple main characters?"

"I think it's possible." Beside the Horn, Lavshini sat on the ground, intently watching the film, a faint smile on her face. She said, "Director Chen Qi went to so much Kung Fu Hustle to send this film to the front lines; I think there must be some other significance to it."

"But what happens next, none of us know... It seems we can only keep watching."

"... That's right."

Horn nodded in agreement. For some reason, Horn felt that "Braveheart" shouldn't just be a movie about heroes and war; Emil's response to the cruelty of war shouldn't be meaningless.

Horn was already mentally prepared; she always felt that... the current plot was just a prelude, a prelude to the increasingly heavy plot to come.

Chapter 109: War Has No Mercy, the Light of Humanity Repeatedly Extinguished

And everything that followed seemed to be exactly as the Horn had predicted. After she gradually became aware of the development of Chen Qi's film, she had been intentionally observing the direction of "Braveheart".

However, apart from her and a few others, most people hadn't thought about this issue. They were simply immersed in the plot development of "Braveheart" and didn't realize at all that the joy and reunion at the beginning of the movie were paving the way for the separation that would follow.

When they saw the captured Emil reunited with his son-in-law "Carl," who happened to be in the Leithania army, everyone couldn't help but smile.

When Carl boarded the flying machine and they separated again, Emil was rescued by a rescue Fangbeast named "Walt," and by a stroke of good fortune, he returned to the Gaul army. When he fought alongside Freddy, they smiled.

When Leithania launched Originium Arts bombardment against the Gaul positions, a female veterinarian named Anna, who was driving a taxi, rescued the two of them. They dodged the Leithania army's Originium Arts bombardment by speeding around in a similar manner, and they laughed heartily as the music played.

However, as the plot unfolds, the war between the various countries intensifies. The weapons they use and the methods of killing make the protagonists' actions increasingly difficult, and their repeated escapes keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

Gradually, as the movie progresses, everyone's initial smiles fade, and their relaxed nerves tense up again. They themselves don't even realize that the plot is slowly shifting from lighthearted to increasingly heavy.

Later in the film, Carl, who was rescued by Emil and others but captured by the Gaul army as an enemy, received a letter from his wife. His child was seriously ill, but their hometown had been surrendered by the Leithania army. Under the Leithania army's control, they were struggling to survive, let alone receive any medicine.

Unwilling to remain in the prisoner-of-war camp any longer, Carl resolved to escape with another companion, but during their breakout attempt, they were discovered almost immediately by the Gaul army.

"We've been discovered?! Being discovered means certain death!"

"They're all under the lights, how can they escape?"

Just when everyone was holding their breath for Carl's fate, the film suddenly shifted to tell the story of Emil and Freddy's group rescuing Anna's scientist father.

Now everyone can see that this movie really likes to fragment the plot, telling a little bit here and a little bit there, leaving those who really want to know what happens to Carl itching to see what happens to him.

However, when they saw the two humans and the Fangbeast actually rescue Anna's father from the Leithania camp and the troublesome baron's men, and break through the encirclement in a land ship designed and modified by Anna's father to launch Originium Bomb, they couldn't help but feel happy.

"This movie... always gives people a glimmer of hope amidst suffering, allowing them to persevere and keep watching, only to fall into deeper despair later on."

Lavshini watched, muttering to herself. Horn, already captivated by the film, responded:

"Aren't we the same? Drawn into a war with no end in sight, fighting to the next day clinging to a sliver of hope, or even just a fantasy... Yet the war never ends."

"Director Chen Qi... did you incorporate the ideals that soldiers upheld during the war into the film? Relying on that glimmer of hope, you made everyone hope for a turning point, thus making everyone continue watching with anticipation."

Horn couldn't help but say this, but she had to admit that she was now completely captivated by the movie. If she hadn't been aware of it beforehand and hadn't been able to maintain some rationality, she probably wouldn't be much better off than everyone else who was immersed in the film.

She now understands how Chen Qi attracted everyone's attention and filled everyone's expectations. It is this comfort of hope amidst despair, this glimmer of light in the darkness, that makes it so precious.

In the movie, Emil, who has parted ways with Freddy, is now assigned to rescue the soldiers trapped in the tunnels. On the way, out of conscience, he saves a Leithania officer who is trapped there. This is not the first time he has saved someone in the movie without distinguishing between friend and foe.

Instead of killing each other, the two, because of the continuous underground bombing, worked together to find a way out of the tunnel.

Gaul and Leithania officers searched together in the tunnels for a way to escape. At that moment, no one—whether from Victoria, Ursus, Leithania, or even the Sarkaz —discussed this part of the story.

"That's the wise choice. It's much easier for two people to escape together than for one person to fight."

"That's right, at this point, we should think about how to survive first."

However, although everyone said that, when they saw in the movie how Emil and the Leithania officer relied on each other and trusted that the other would not betray them, they couldn't help but smile.

Unbeknownst to them, they were enjoying a rare moment of peace amidst the war. Soldiers from two opposing nations were working together for survival, laying down their weapons and ceasing their killings. This had a profound impact on these soldiers.

Despite being enemies and having only known each other for a few minutes, they already possessed an unspoken trust in one another... This had an indescribable impact on all the soldiers now caught up in the battlefield.

Finally, when Emil was about to return to his Gaul entourage, the Leithania officer stopped the Leithania soldiers who were about to kill Emil, a scene that was particularly moving.

"Don't move! He's my friend! Don't hurt him, let him go!"

The Leithania officer stopped the soldiers, his gaze falling on Emil, played by Młynar, as he watched him descend the ladder and leave the mine.

It wasn't until Emil was about to leave the mine that the Leithania officer shouted at him:

"Gaul people—if we meet again on the battlefield, we won't recognize each other!"

"I know!" Emil replied. However, these two soldiers, who had just met, looked at each other and then turned away without glancing back, but neither of them plotted against the other.

However, that one scene warmed the hearts of countless soldiers, and they couldn't help but smile.

"... If it weren't for the war, the two might have been friends, or even brothers," Horn couldn't help but sigh.

"But if it weren't for the war, the two wouldn't even have met." Lavshini nodded with a smile. She had to admit that this rare moment of warmth touched her heart, and she couldn't help but sigh:

"Director Chen Qi is such a gentle person; even in the face of brutal war, he doesn't forget to depict the brilliance of humanity."

However, the conversation between the two women was overheard by a Sarkaz mercenary standing nearby. The Sarkaz didn't refute them, but inwardly he thought with a hint of disdain:

"Human nature in war... will only harm oneself. If I were that officer, I would have killed him."

"Hmph, it's just a movie after all. The director doesn't understand the cruelty of real war."

However, despite saying that, the Sarkaz mercenary had to admit that, from his perspective, such a scene, though incomprehensible, was still quite moving—he made this suggestion to himself simply to avoid weakening his heart and harboring such naive thoughts in future wars.

The Sarkaz mercenary turned his gaze back to the movie, while Emil, having fulfilled his superior's orders, delivered a large cartload of goods to the soldiers and returned to the ground. However, the next moment, the Gaul lifted the cloth, revealing a huge pile of Originium Bomb!

Upon witnessing this scene, everyone sensed that something was wrong! A bad feeling arose in their hearts!

The next moment, the soldiers lined up the Originium explosives one by one, and the camera focused on the area directly above where the Originium Bomb were about to explode.

The Leithania officer, whose life had been saved by Emil, was unaware of the impending danger and was chatting animatedly with his colleagues about his recent experience.

"You probably won't believe it, but that Gaul saved me, and I saved his life in return."

"If the war ends, I might go find that old guy again, have a drink with him, and maybe become friends again."

However, no sooner had the Leithania officer finished speaking Gaul in the shot, unaware of all this, had already placed his hand on the detonator.

"Don't want..."

"Boom!!"

Before any of the soldiers could even utter a sound, the Gaul pressed the detonator, and all the Originium Bomb exploded, instantly engulfing the Leithania soldiers—including, of course, the Leithania officer whom Emil had only recently met.

The Leithania officer who had been talking eloquently just a moment before, hoping to go to Gaul to find the Emil after the war, was killed the next second by bombs planted by Gaul. Countless rocks and mud buried him, burying the glimmer of hope that had just been ignited within him.

It was as if... it had also drowned out all the warmth in the hearts of everyone who had just been seeking solace in the midst of war. Once again, war had demonstrated its ruthlessness and cruelty.

In the film, Młynar's character, Emil, stares blankly at the Gaul in the distance who are celebrating the great success of the bombing operation.

Emil's tattered and disheveled appearance, his lifeless eyes, contrasted sharply with the splendid, dust-free, and jubilant Gaul generals. This stark contrast touched a soft spot in the hearts of all the viewers.

Emil said nothing, but at that moment, his lifeless and weary eyes seemed to say everything.

The scene shifts to Emil sitting wearily by a campfire in the film, throwing his medal into the flames.

[This is an act of cowardice... I don't want to accept these medals. I've just lost a friend, and I can't bear to see those generals gloating in front of me.]

Still no news of Carl. The only consolation is... we rescued Anna's father. Anna and her father are finally reunited, and he no longer needs to use his intelligence to manufacture weapons of war.

Good news is scarce, and we all want to savor this moment to the fullest.

Anna and her father's reunion warmed the hearts of the soldiers who were grieving, but this warmth did not last long. Soon, bad news came from the movie.

All they saw was a soldier handing Emil and Anna a military identification tag with the name "Carl" printed on it. At that moment, everyone understood what the tag represented.

Carl attempted to escape the prisoner-of-war camp but was executed.

There was no turning point, no hope, no miracle. This news deeply wounded Emil in the film, and once again, it wounded every viewer.

"... a war of * Sarkaz profanities*."

Behind the Horn and Lavshini, the hoarse voice of the Sarkaz mercenary drifted out. The Sarkaz mercenary did not cry, but the feeling of just seeing a glimmer of hope only to fall into deeper despair again was enough to make even Sarkaz numb heart feel a pang of pain.

Sarkaz never complains of pain. Even if their legs or arms are blown off, or they are plunged into despair, they will not feel bitterness or fatigue. If even Sarkaz feels pain, then it must be an act so cruel that even Sarkaz would find it extremely difficult to accept.

This act, known as the ruthlessness of war, is a testament to Chen Qi's repeated displays of the warmth of war, only to have it instantly swallowed up by its ruthlessness, leaving no room for any illusions. This process made everyone feel... true "cruelty."

Chapter 110: Terra Soldiers' Consensus: The Overseer Team Should Have Died Long Ago!

The dramatic plot twists and fragmented narrative of "Braveheart" are enough to keep any viewer who cares about the plot on the edge of their seat. Unlike the first half, the second half of the film can be described as everyone walking on thin ice, with each protagonist's story unfolding in a tense atmosphere.

The first half could perhaps be described as interspersing moments of joy and lightheartedness within the tragedy, but in the second half, the warmth within the tragedy becomes pitifully scarce. Just as hope begins to rise, it is instantly extinguished, only to be rekindled with a desperate struggle...

Just like now, everyone thought Carl was doomed, but in a later part of the movie, Carl pulled a trick, swapping his identification tag with that of another companion who had fled with him but was killed by Originium Arts, thus escaping the pursuit of the Gaul army.

Carl's successful escape also explained that the news of Carl's death that Emil received was false. This plot twist brought a glimmer of solace to the hearts of many who were immersed in grief.

"Director Chen Qi's film... truly made my heart race, as if he had my heart in his grasp..."

Meanwhile, Ablana, who was sitting at another open-air cinema with the Duke of Wellington and the main forces of [Deep Pool] and Victoria, was also intently watching the plot of "Braveheart". This leader of Deep Pool always paid close attention to any of Chen Qi's works.

"He grasped at that glimmer of humanity amidst the war, constantly allowing people to appreciate the beauty of hope in a hellish place, only to immediately extinguish that tiny hope and send them back into hell."

Duke of Wellington looked much more disheveled now. Although he hadn't been leading the charge, he had remained on the front lines, working with Ablana and others to devise plans to counter the two Ursus Army Group.

Braveheart provided them with a brief respite from their predicament. The coordinated offensive of the Ursus Army Group was far more ferocious than that of the Victoria army and the hastily assembled Deep Pool forces. Even though the Duke of Wellington had fought against the Gaul army in the past and had a distinguished record, it was difficult for him to make any progress in the face of such an absolute disparity in strength.

Even though the war only lasted a few months, the pressure that the two Ursus army groups put on Duke of Wellington was something that even Gaul couldn't bring him back then. Everyone was exhausted, and Duke of Wellington and Ablana thought that Braveheart would bring them comfort, but instead, it brought them naked cruelty.

The cruelty of war makes the brilliance of humanity appear so fragile yet so precious. But what saddens everyone is the helplessness of having every hope extinguished.

But they couldn't help but still cling to hope, wishing that everyone in this story would have a happy ending... Just to live, just to reunite, even if they had nothing left, would be enough to comfort them.

However, when Carl, played by Margaret, is in trouble and is rescued by Anna, who is driving a taxi, and they return to their hometown, they discover that it has already been occupied by the Leithania army. After being detained and interrogated by the Leithania army, their identities are eventually verified, and they are not executed as enemy soldiers.

But... that doesn't mean he can go back home.

I returned to my hometown, but I couldn't get back to my wife and daughter...

[The Leithania military court verified my identity, but I must return to military service as a soldier. My home is only a few hundred meters from here, but it seems I can never go back.]

Once again, despair struck. After escaping the pursuit with great difficulty, he was dragged back to the starting point just before reaching the destination.

At this moment, everyone on the Victoria, Leithania, and Ursus armies felt an immense sense of oppression. Apart from the sound of the movie, no one on the entire battlefield spoke.

The camera in the film has now turned once again to Emil, played by Młynar, who has returned from the farm to the battlefield. Emil now looks exhausted, and the battlefield, with the escalation of the fighting, has completely turned into a hellish place.

Everything around was gloomy, even the land itself—scorched earth, black smoke, and ragged soldiers.

[I am not yet fully recovered, but General Nivelle insists on launching his massive attack, declaring it another campaign that could end the war... I hope he is right.]

Once again caught in the middle of the battlefield, Emil and a group of Gaul soldiers participated in the attack. However, General Nivelle's arrogance and his spotless uniform, which stood out from all the other soldiers on the battlefield, made almost everyone frown immediately.

After that, General Nivelle's tough supervision on the battlefield spurred the Gaul to charge again and again. Wave after wave of soldiers fell to the Originium Arts of the Leithania sorcerers. Finally, the long-awaited open-air cinema made a sound... but it was a sound of anger.

"This is practically suicide."

That general is sending his soldiers to their deaths!