DKIE CH26: Actor

Quill floated in mid-air, its shadow casting over the three words below, making the handwriting appear even more three-dimensional, even aggressive.

Luka released his hand in astonishment.

After a moment, his gaze solidified on Quill.

Seemingly knowing what the other was about to say, Quill was very calm: “I just wrote down the desire from the depths of your heart.”

It was lying to itself.

But Luka couldn’t be sure of this answer.

A long time ago, when the deformed heart had taken the initiative to become a pen, it had already proven that this thing could perceive things related to desire.

“Become the king.” Luka’s light-colored brows furrowed. Do I really have such a subconscious thought?

To a certain extent, this was indeed a solution.

He had already caught the eye of the demon race, and quite deeply at that.

…The kind that was a thorn in their side.

But it was impossible to eliminate a behemoth like the demon race. If they couldn’t be eliminated, then the only option was to take the initiative to rule them.

Thinking of this, Luka couldn’t help but swallow.

Quill’s voice floated over at the right time: “The things you wrote will definitely not be circulated among the demon race. They might even have been banned.”

To the demon race, Luka was still that insignificant shame of the demon world.

Quill offered a plan: “To become king, you must first increase your fame and influence among the demon race. The Return Hunt is the perfect opportunity.”

The winner of the Return Hunt was chosen by popular vote.

Personally supervised by the Demon King, the entire process was even more public and transparent than that of the human race.

During this period, the crown princes had to find ways to gain the support of their people, to have them publicly declare their support. Wealth, military power, popular support… all-round proof of their strength.

Luka suddenly narrowed his eyes, “Why are you suddenly so enthusiastic?”

Quill didn’t answer.

Finally, under Luka’s long gaze, it only said, “This matter is beneficial to both of us.”

Having known each other for a while, Luka could somewhat feel that Quill’s malice towards him was getting smaller and smaller. Even invisibly, the relationship between the two could be described as… affectionate?

The possibility of it harming him was not high.

After walking a thousand meters to the bedside, until he fell asleep, Luka’s heart was still beating a little fast.

The more he tried to ignore the thought of becoming king, the more profound it became. In the end, it almost became a brand on his soul.

The final winner of the Return Hunt was chosen by popular vote.

What could be more suitable for a voting campaign than fan culture?!

The more he thought about it, the more he felt there was something to it.

Luka tossed and turned, his eyes still open in the middle of the night.

A light sigh floated over, “What’s there to be conflicted about? As early as when we made the blood pact, your heart already had such an ambition.”

Luka still denied it: “Impossible.”

At that time, he had just transmigrated. His mind was full of chaotic memories. The thought of killing the Demon King was there, but it was absolutely impossible for him to think of becoming the Demon King.

After he calmed down, he wondered if the original owner had had a similar idea.

A question he had been deliberately ignoring came to his mind.

Transmigration was one thing, but how could it be so coincidental? To have transmigrated into a body that looked so similar to his own.

After a long while, Luka took a light breath, “Indeed, one must use difficulties to overcome difficulties.”

After thinking it through, the initial shock of becoming king had completely disappeared.

After a bad night’s sleep, when Luka woke up the next day, his eyes were red from the pupils to the corners.

He planned to first find Rio to ask about the situation outside. Berlanie and Alice were still in the Holy City and would definitely say something through the communication stone.

The way was lined with luxurious lamps and various complicated decorations. A slight carelessness in using a flight spell would get him hung up on them.

Luka could only walk like a mule, huffing and puffing. He even got lost once on the way, adding insult to injury to his already long journey.

After a full two hours, he finally found Rio. Luka’s first sentence was, “Let’s not say anything else, let’s have lunch first.”

It had already gone from sunrise to noon.

“…”

Rio saw him walking, flushed and out of breath, and said with a laugh, “I’ve already asked the craftsmen to set up a teleportation array urgently. It will be installed by tomorrow at the latest.”

Lunch was very rich. Rio had specially hired people to make a ‘children’s meal’.

It was quite a strange feeling to dine with a giant dragon. If it weren’t for the beast milk specially prepared for him on the side, Luka would definitely have given it a five-star rating.

Holding the milk cup, he forced himself to finish it, embarrassed.

Wiping the milk stains from the corner of his mouth, Luka sat up straight and asked with a serious and stern face, “Your Excellency, is there any news from the Holy City?”

Rio finally couldn’t hold back his laughter.

One second a child drinking milk, the next second pretending to be an adult. How could the Saintess and the Demon King give birth to such an interesting child?

“You don’t seem to be their biological child.”

Luka said seriously, “The Saint said so too. He said I resemble him, but he didn’t immediately ask me to call him Holy Father.”

A thoughtful look flashed in Rio’s eyes, “…If you really trace it back, there is some connection. The human saints come from the Holy Court, so they are from the same branch. But they had a falling out later.”

Luka was inevitably a little curious about the Holy Court and the Saintess.

When he wanted to ask in detail, Rio only said, “The Holy Court was originally called the Divine Court. For those who have seen this place, it’s best to avoid it if possible.”

It seemed that this matter also involved some secrets. Rio answered his initial question: “Alec is seriously injured. The Demon King led his team back to the demon realm ahead of schedule. This time, the demon race’s Return Hunt will probably start early.”

Luka’s thoughts surged again.

He increasingly felt that what he wanted to do was the same as the battle for the Return Hunt: accumulate wealth, increase fame, and have a larger fan base.

Spread too thin, he began to think about how to connect these several goals together.

When Rio mentioned that the video of Luka playing the musical instrument was now circulating, and that even the largest opera house in the Holy City was highly recommending it, his already restless heart swayed even more.

The scene of watching the opera with Lilian was still vivid in his mind, and the idea that had sprung up at that time also resurfaced.

Luka had found a lighthouse.

Noticing the change in his micro-expression, before Rio could speak, he saw the young man opposite him walk over with a little excitement, his eyes burning:

“I want to make a movie. Can I film on Dragon Island?”

“A movie?”

What’s that?

“A form of expression similar to a play,” Luka added, “full of twists and turns.”

Rio looked at him, finding it hard to imagine how many novel ideas were packed in this small head.

He was not Cullen. He didn’t care whether the movie would bring benefits, nor did he care about its development prospects. He agreed very readily.

So much so that for many years to come, Rio would greatly regret not having first asked what genre the other wanted to film.

Besides the script, the two most important things for filming a movie were, one, having the capital in place, and two, having the actors in place.

Luka now had some capital, but it was definitely not enough to pay for the special recording stones needed for filming. He had to pull in a few shareholders.

The problem of actors also needed to be solved.

In a short moment, Luka had already decided what type of movie he wanted to make.

This time, he wanted to act in it himself.

As for the other important roles, all the famous actors were in the Holy City, and he couldn’t afford them at all. If he used new actors, it would not be conducive to the early promotion and release. The current market was not mature, and the audience would only pay for the actors they liked.

And hiring famous actors also cost a lot of money!

Rio lowered his voice slightly, making his usually stern tone sound less oppressive, “Are you facing some difficulties?”

Luka looked at him with a pair of bright eyes.

For some reason, Rio suddenly had a bad premonition.

At his level of power, this kind of sixth sense would not appear for no reason. Just as Rio was thinking about the source of the premonition, his sleeve was gently tugged.

Luka looked at him timidly:

“In the distant east, there is a dragon…”

Rio was taken aback.

“…Under the giant dragon’s feet I grew up, and after growing up, I am a descendant of the dragon…”

A sudden burst of singing made Quill tremble. Fortunately, Rio was also stunned, so he didn’t notice. One second he was talking properly, the next he just started singing without a word. Who could stand this?

Luka sang with more and more vigor.

Rio couldn’t help but think of the street corner alley from their first meeting.

This song wasn’t sung for nothing. After being a songbird, Luka gently rubbed his hands, “Um, I want to find a ‘dad’ on Dragon Island.”

“?”

Not a godfather, or a godson, but directly looking for a dad. Besides being a little surprised at first, Rio actually managed to remain expressionless.

After a moment of thought, he asked, “Is this what you meant by ‘raising the level’?”

On the way, Luka had mentioned that for controversial things, one had to raise their level.

So now he was looking for a dad who could fly?

Well, he was indeed quite good at flying.

Quill trembled again… What kind of illiterate logic is this?

Luka hurriedly explained, “I’m looking for an actor to play a role in a movie.”

“…This movie is mainly about a family story, uh, the family atmosphere is very strong, revolving around the parents and two children.”

Rio grasped the core, “So you’re going to play the child yourself?”

Luka nodded.

Looking at the young man who was not even up to his chest, Rio wanted to laugh, “I’ll play the part.”

Luka’s original intention was to invite Rio, but to leave room for maneuver, he was a bit more tactful. Seeing the other agree so readily, his eyes immediately curved into a smile.

“That’s great, the image fits perfectly! It perfectly matches the father’s setting in this story, needing an imposing and charismatic external image.”

Luka said without thinking, as if he were describing an ideal father figure.

Seeing him so happy, Rio actually felt a secret joy of being a new father.

“Whatever you need, give me a list later.”

Luka nodded heavily.

…

To make a movie, you need a script.

After lunch, Luka took another three hours to return to his room. When he arrived, his first reaction was that he could have dinner.

The underground castle needed lighting at all times.

Light the lamp, take up the pen, and get to work.

Quill was forced to work together. Its slightly high body temperature was transmitted through the pen shaft, and finally, a few words were written:

The Real and Fake Young Master of a Rich Family.

“What a perfect theme.” The more Luka looked, the more satisfied he became.

Quill: “Perfect in what way?”

A single name covered the content.

The only good thing was that it sounded more normal than Pampered Three-and-a-Half-Year-Old.

When inspiration strikes, it can’t be stopped. Luka quickly wrote on:

Loran lives in the Underground City, also known as the slums.

The only chance to change the fate of the people at the bottom is the school entrance examination.

Because his grades were impersonated, he had to take the most meager salary. One day, when he came home from work, he suddenly found a luxury car pulled by a rare beast parked outside.

A young man in expensive clothes, not yet thirty, stood by the car, his voice low:

“Loran Capel.”

Loran was about to say that his name was Loran Hull, not some Loran Capel.

The man interrupted coldly, “You are a child of the Capel family. You were switched at birth seventeen years ago. We are here to take you back now.”

The Capel family, one of the most prestigious families in the Hanging Gardens, possessed countless wealth. For many children who grew up in the Underground City, their lifelong goal was to serve them.

The young man claimed to be Loran’s older brother and only said, ‘Get in the car.’

Loran hurriedly followed. The sunlight shone in from the sky and happened to fall on the young man’s back.

A height of over one meter eighty, tall and composed.

So much so that for the next three years, Loran mistakenly thought that this was the first ray of light in his dark life.

“Brother,” he called out cautiously, “Are you, are you really my brother? Besides you, do I have any other relatives?”

Loran had actually suspected his own birth more than once. His appearance was not similar to his current parents, and they did not treat him well, either beating or scolding him.

The young man turned his head, his narrow eyes looking down on him coldly, “Your parents are naturally in good health. You also have a younger brother. In fact, you were born on almost the same day.”

When he mentioned his younger brother, the young man’s gaze softened a little, and a smile appeared on the corners of his lips.]

Writing up to this point, Luka started a new sheet of paper and wrote down the main characters:

Loran (real young master); Mother; Father; Younger Brother (fake young master); Older Brother.

Passersby A, B, C, and D were also very important. Luka began to write down the supporting characters.

Fake parents, Wang Ma, butler, servants, noble academy classmates, teachers, principal.

Quill: “What’s a Wang Ma?”

Luka: “Wang Ma is a ‘wang ma’.”

In this world, you can’t just use “Wang Ma” directly. Those who don’t know would think it’s the king’s mother (Wang means mother and Ma means mother).

“?”

Quill: “So it’s another story about a protagonist with ordinary talent who suddenly gets lucky one day and is taken home to be pampered and loved?”

The same old formula.

Boring.

Luka said smugly, “No, no, no. It’s probably about a real young master who returns home to find that his father doesn’t dote on him and his mother doesn’t love him. All the affection is taken away by the fake young master. The real young master works desperately hard to make everyone like him. But he finds that no matter what he does, it’s useless. In the end, he becomes the one everyone dislikes.”

The tip of Quill’s pen swung heavily.

It found that it had underestimated Luka’s potential.

When it thought that “The Beloved Three-and-a-Half-Year-Old” was his limit, Luka proved with his strength: he had no bottom line.

Drip, drip.

Luka calmly wiped the blood vomited by Quill, and said elegantly yet domineeringly, “Spit it out. I’ll buy you essence blood to make up for however much you spit out later.”

The sudden pampering tone made the blood clot at the tip of Quill’s pen, stuck in the middle.

“…” A natural-born bad seed for a Demon King.

The blood-stained tip of the pen suddenly had a faint black glow. Quill, contrary to its usual behavior, did not continue to complain about the content, but instead asked about the future of the movie, “Where is your audience?”

Before writing the pampered pet story, Luka had already made it clear that the dragon race was the main market.

What about the real and fake young master?

“The entire continent.” Luka chose this theme for his own reasons, of course. And as for how to guarantee the box office, he was already putting it into practice.

The entire Holy Demon Continent admired the strong. The dragon race had many admirers. A story they personally acted in, people would come to see no matter what.

Making a clean break, Luka planned to divide the movie into two parts. The first part would be about the real young master being disliked by everyone, ending with the protagonist’s self-awakening. The second part would be the “crematorium” literature.

“When I cared about you, you cared about him, and they cared about him too. Later, when I didn’t care about anything, they all regretted it, only to find that I would never care again.”

That’s the thrill!

“Luka,” Quill was silent for a long while before suddenly calling his name.

“Hmm?”

“Do more human things.” For the first time, it felt that “human” was a positive term. Humanity was more reliable than demon nature.

Luka expressed his disagreement.

“Do you know how terrifying ‘crematorium’ literature is?”

Not caring whether Quill could understand these strange words, he continued on his own, “It’s when you clearly know the next eighty percent of the tropes, but you still have to buy a ticket to see it for yourself.”

He propped up his head with a half-smile, “Besides, don’t you think this theme is brilliant?”

After a brief thought, Quill surprisingly did not continue to criticize.

Real and fake young master? Usurping another’s identity and rights, yet the victim is not liked… so that’s how it is.

Luka was not worried about the release problem.

With the support of the dragon race, besides the demon race, the things he filmed should be able to be broadcast smoothly in all major domains.

But he wanted to have the premiere in the demon world.

As long as the first part could be broadcast, he wouldn’t need to worry about the second part at all. The audience would beg for it to be broadcast amidst their contempt.

After finishing the first draft, Luka prepared to rest. Quill said faintl, “Wait, finish telling me the plot of the second part first.”

Luka was puzzled, “Didn’t I just summarize it?”

“Be more specific.”

That was not enough to dispel the anger from the first half.

Quill floated to the tip of Luka’s nose and said coldly, “If you dare to end with forgiveness, or just gloss over it, I will let you know the consequences of angering me.”

The slightly hard fluff brushed against a sensitive area. Luka remembered the story of vomiting milk in the illusion last time and couldn’t help but sneeze.

…

“Achoo.”

At the same time, the hurricane dragon, who was staying up late to admire the merchandise, almost spewed out a mouthful of dragon’s breath.

“Strange.” Rio’s tail coiled around a blind box. “Did I catch a cold?”

He had never heard of a dragon that had passed its juvenile stage still getting sick.

While thinking, his sharp tail unconsciously took the place of his hand and opened the last brand new blind box.

A cute little cub was holding berries on an island, both cute and hardworking.

Hidden model, it’s the hidden model!

Although he could guarantee a hidden model from the merchant by paying extra, they were all opened. Of course, Rio disdained them.

After countless failures, he finally got one.

“Alice and Berlanie definitely haven’t gotten one yet.” Otherwise, they would have already sent a message to show off.

His luck had turned.

As the humans say, when things reach an extreme, they reverse.

He, his luck had turned!

__

Author’s note:

Excerpt from Luka’s diary:
What humans often say, besides “when things reach an extreme, they reverse,” is also “the conservation of energy.” –Alex’s note.

Rio: …

Luka: Read but no reply.