(3rd Person POV)
After several minutes of contemplative silence, Arthur finally reached his conclusion. "I've made my decision," he announced thoughtfully. "The Skull Organization could prove quite valuable to me for an extended period. There's no need to eliminate them immediately."
Firfel and Vivienne exchanged relieved glances upon hearing this declaration. The prospect of Arthur engaging another dangerous organization in direct conflict had filled them both with considerable anxiety.
Sylwen, however, couldn't mask her disappointment. Her shoulders sagged slightly as she absorbed the decision.
"I understand," she said quietly, her tone betraying her wish for a more aggressive approach.
Arthur rose from his seat, his mind already shifting to the next phase of his plans. "I have some urgent matters to attend to. Please, enjoy the rest of your evening together."
Without further explanation, he vanished in the space between heartbeats, teleporting directly to his private study to begin outlining his most ambitious project yet.
Left alone on the terrace, Firfel turned to the others with a gentle smile. "Why don't we watch the Harry Potter sequel in the home theater? I think we could all use some entertainment after this discussion."
Vivienne's eyebrows rose in surprise. "There's already a Harry Potter sequel? I haven't heard anything about Arthur filming one recently..."
"Arthur didn't direct this one personally—he's been far too occupied with other projects," Firfel explained. "He had one of his clones work with Damien to guide the production a few months ago. According to Arthur, Damien exceeded expectations. The film should be releasing within the next few weeks."
"I had no idea!" Vivienne gasped. "I was beginning to think Arthur had abandoned the project entirely."
"I thought the same thing initially," Firfel admitted. "But he simply delegated it to Damien while focusing on his other ventures."
"That makes perfect sense," Vivienne nodded, her curiosity clearly piqued. "I'd love to see how Damien handled the material."
---
Meanwhile, in the quiet sanctuary of his study, Arthur settled behind his mahogany desk and began crafting detailed outlines for his most audacious filmmaking scheme yet. His pen moved steadily across the parchment as he murmured his thoughts aloud.
"To make this deception work seamlessly, I need to establish John Wick as a legitimate figure within their criminal underworld," he reasoned to himself. "The Skull Organization must believe that John Wick was responsible for eliminating Viper and Tarsier."
He paused, tapping his pen against his lips as he considered the logistics. "The Tower of Babylon could serve as the perfect substitute for Viggo's legitimate business front—much more impressive than a simple church setting."
Arthur's hand moved across the page with renewed purpose as he outlined his hybrid approach. "I'll still employ professional actors for the crucial dialogue scenes and character development, but when it comes to action sequences..." A satisfied smile crossed his features. "The Skull operatives will become unwitting stars, providing authenticity no stunt coordinator could replicate."
As his outline took shape, Arthur couldn't help but chuckle at the elegant simplicity of his plan. He would transform his enemies into his greatest cinematic assets, all while they remained completely oblivious to their new careers in entertainment.
The intersection of divine manipulation and creative filmmaking had never been more perfectly aligned.
---
Meanwhile, in the Persian Empire's major city of Babylon, life continued with its usual bustling activity. As the empire's central hub, the city was home to various races—though humans and elves made up most of the population, demons and dwarves also lived and worked throughout the marketplaces and residential areas.
The Middle Eastern nations had always been diverse, with some kingdoms favoring human-elven cooperation while others had stronger demonic influence, largely due to their location between the Anatolian realm and the Eden continent.
Babylon's skyline was dominated by stone structures, but none more notable than the incomplete tower that rose high above the city. The Tower of Babylon was a massive, ancient structure that humans and elves had built long ago with the goal of reaching the realm of the gods. It served as a reminder of past ambitions.
Strange, unreadable writing covered parts of the tower's walls, though no one could decipher their meaning anymore. While the tower attracted many tourists, visitors weren't allowed to go to the upper levels due to safety concerns and restricted access.
Among the tourists that day was a figure in a hooded robe, clearly female based on her silhouette. She wore a decorative fox mask and moved carefully through the crowd. She quietly left the main tourist area and found a hidden entrance that wasn't meant for public use.
Moving through the secret passage with practiced stealth, she navigated a maze of underground corridors until she reached her destination—a circular chamber where several masked figures already sat around a polished stone table.
The figure occupying the leader's seat wore an imposing eagle mask crafted to resemble the Empirican national bird, its golden beak and fierce glass eyes commanding respect. This was "Fearless Eagle," one of the Skull Organization's highest-ranking operatives.
To his right sat "True Devil," whose mask was a masterwork of intimidation—crimson leather molded into demonic features, complete with curved horns, glowing red eye slits, and a permanently leering mouth that revealed sharp, metallic teeth.
The third figure, "Smart Monkey," wore a more unusual mask—the grimacing face of a primate frozen in an expression of manic intelligence, its bronze surface polished to an unsettling sheen.
These three represented the upper echelon of the Skull Organization's hierarchy.
"Lady Fox," Fearless Eagle acknowledged as she entered, his voice carrying the authority of absolute command. "You've finally arrived. I trust you're already aware of what befell Viper and Tarsier?"
The newcomer known as Lady Fox settled gracefully into her designated seat, her movements fluid and controlled. "I am. From what I've gathered, they met their end in some minor kingdom."
"Horn Kingdom, to be precise," Fearless Eagle confirmed with a slight nod. "Their mission was to retrieve an operative who disappeared several years ago—codename Lala. Not only did they fail to complete this objective, but they were eliminated in the process."
His tone carried both disappointment and barely restrained anger at the unprecedented failure of two high-ranking operatives.
"So... who do you believe was responsible for this?" Lady Fox asked, her voice carrying a mixture of curiosity and concern. "Whoever eliminated two high-ranking operatives from our organization is clearly no ordinary threat."
Fearless Eagle released a heavy sigh, his composure betraying hints of frustration. "Unfortunately, we have no leads. Every single member we had stationed in Horn Kingdom perished alongside Viper and Tarsier. We're operating completely blind."
True Devil's fist crashed against the stone table with explosive force, the sound echoing through the chamber. "Whoever dares strike against our organization will face hell itself!" He jabbed an accusatory finger toward Fearless Eagle. "This disaster is the result of your incompetent leadership! Perhaps it's time we petition our Lord—The Great Lich—to hold a vote for new leadership!"
Fearless Eagle didn't even flinch at the outburst, his voice remaining steady and controlled. "Oh? And you believe yourself more competent for the position?"
"Obviously!" True Devil's respect for protocol evaporated entirely. "It was your obsession with that Ring of Greed that led us here—a ring we haven't even glimpsed after years of searching!"
His voice rose with mounting anger. "You've sent countless operatives chasing shadows, and now we've lost some of our most valuable assets with nothing to show for it. You don't even have the slightest clue who killed our people in Horn Kingdom!"
Fearless Eagle remained silent for a long moment before responding with an almost serene smile. "The Ring of Greed represents the key to our Lord Lich's restoration. With its power, he can finally reclaim a significant portion of his former strength."
Smart Monkey nodded in agreement. "Precisely."
"You're actually siding with him, Monkey?" True Devil's frustration reached new heights. "What good is importance without results? We don't have the ring, and we don't even know who's responsible for killing our people—"
"That's where you're mistaken, True Devil," Smart Monkey interjected smoothly. "While our Horn Kingdom operatives may be dead, it doesn't mean we're completely without information."
"What do you mean?" True Devil demanded, his anger momentarily replaced by curiosity.
Lady Fox leaned forward with renewed interest.
Smart Monkey steepled his fingers, clearly relishing his moment of analytical superiority. "Consider this: Viper and Tarsier traveled to Horn Kingdom to retrieve a missing operative—Lala. Their deaths are obviously connected to her situation."
"Continue," Lady Fox encouraged.
"Lala was insignificant within our hierarchy. The only reason we're discussing her now is because she went missing after her mask was destroyed. We sent operatives to eliminate her, but they found no trace." Smart Monkey paused for effect. "However, reviewing her final mission records reveals something interesting. Before disappearing, she was investigating several individuals in Horn Kingdom regarding the Ring of Greed."
He continued with growing confidence. "Her surveillance focused particularly on one suspect—Arthur Pendragon. She followed him from Horn Kingdom to Japon, and Japon was the last place anyone reported contact with her."
The implications hung heavy in the air.
Fearless Eagle surveyed the group before speaking. "Exactly. Arthur Pendragon is undoubtedly connected to both Lala's disappearance and the deaths of Viper and Tarsier. More importantly, he may be our most viable lead to the Ring of Greed."
True Devil processed this information, though skepticism remained in his voice. "But Arthur Pendragon is just a filmmaker. How could he possibly have the capability to eliminate even our lowest-ranking members?"
Lady Fox interjected thoughtfully, "I agree with your assessment of his apparent limitations. However, Arthur is likely just a front. Our real target should be whoever is operating behind him."
"Precisely," Smart Monkey chuckled, pleased that his deduction had redirected their focus toward actionable intelligence.
The Skull Organization had set their sights on Arthur, but unbeknownst to them, Arthur had also set his sights on them. He planned to use them to make his movie more realistic, and soon he would ensure that information about John Wick would be revealed to the high-ranking members of the Skull Organization.
Once the Skull Organization sent operatives to Horn Kingdom to investigate, they would inevitably discover the name John Wick—exactly as Arthur intended.