Cassius returned to the set of Snow White and the Huntsman.
After unlocking the "Favorability Vision," his motivation to grind stats was stronger than ever!
The set was currently filming a dialogue scene right after an action sequence:
Kristen and Chris Hemsworth were taking a brief rest in the "forest," exchanging information.
The actual forest was just a green screen, with some prop trees and rocks placed in the foreground.
This was a massive test of the actors' conviction and imagination!
Acting against a green cloth required extraordinary internal support.
Currently, Cassius didn't have that kind of experience or mindset.
His current acting skills weren't enough to fully immerse himself in a character in front of a green screen.
Everything proceeded step by step.
Action!
The two leads got into character.
Cassius stood near the monitors, observing.
He scanned the entire set with his Favorability Vision.
The director's favorability toward him was [28], the stunt coordinator Mike's was [41], and several familiar crew members hovered between [10-20].
Pretty standard workplace relationships on a film set.
Cassius's gaze focused on a giant spotlight hanging above the soundstage.
These spotlights were typically used to create special lighting effects and wouldn't be moved for a long time once installed.
Turn it on when needed, turn it off when not!
Suddenly, he sensed a slight, strange noise.
Following the sound, he looked up. The spotlight above the soundstage seemed to be shaking slightly, emitting a faint "creak."
In the noisy shooting environment, it wasn't obvious. Only someone like Cassius, who was constantly scanning the set, could have faintly heard it.
His gaze locked onto the spotlight's connection point.
The hair on his body stood on end!
The metal component at the connection point seemed to be under immense strain, slowly deforming and about to snap!
And diagonally below it, Kristen and Chris were rehearsing their scene!
Although it wasn't directly above them, the angle was such that the falling debris and impact wave would definitely hit them!
"Watch out above you!"
Cassius roared almost instinctively.
Everyone froze.
Kristen and Chris looked up reflexively.
In that split second!
Snap!
A crisp crack rang out!
The locking mechanism failed completely!
The heavy spotlight plummeted with a whooshing sound!
"Oh shit!"
"Get down!"
Cries of alarm erupted everywhere!
Cassius moved!
He didn't instinctively back away or seek cover like the others. Instead, he charged toward the edge of the impact zone.
His goal wasn't to catch the light.
Only an idiot would do that!
Cassius moved like a shadow. Before the light smashed into the ground, he violently shoved a female production assistant, who was frozen in terror, out of the way!
At the same time, he used his [Ukemi Technique] (breakfall) to roll sideways, maximizing his avoidance of flying debris.
Bang!
Crash!!
The light smashed into the prop rocks, sending shards flying and dust billowing.
The entire set fell deathly silent, save for the piercing wail of the alarm.
Cassius quickly scrambled up from the ground, dusting himself off. Aside from a minor scrape on his elbow from the roll, he was fine.
The production assistant he had shoved was still in shock, her face pale as a sheet, stammering her thanks.
"You okay?" Cassius confirmed.
"N-no... I mean, yes! Thank you! Thank you!"
Her voice was still trembling.
Only then did Cassius look toward Kristen and Chris.
They had been quickly shielded by assistants and bodyguards. They weren't injured, just shaken.
Kristen looked at Cassius, her eyes full of astonishment.
[Kristen Stewart Favorability +10, Current Favorability: 45]
The director and producer rushed over with ashen faces, comforting the leads, checking the situation, and sternly demanding the cause of the accident.
The safety supervisor was sweating bullets, already inspecting other equipment.
Cassius didn't crowd them.
During that lightning-fast rescue operation, due to his extreme focus and precise bodily control, two orbs had dropped from his own body:
[Physical Attribute — Extreme Reaction +3]
[Aura Attribute — Calm Under Pressure +2]
Absorb!
A deeper understanding of how to mobilize the body's potential under extreme stress and how to maintain inner calm merged into his being.
Mike, the stunt coordinator, walked over and patted Cassius heavily on the shoulder, his eyes full of admiration.
"Holy crap, Cass! That was beautiful! Fast reaction, clean movement! You saved her!"
He pointed at the still-trembling production assistant.
[Mike Favorability +15, Current Favorability: 56]
The director also walked over.
He had broken out in a cold sweat.
This was his first feature film as a director!
Both leads were high-traffic stars. If something happened to them on his set...
He didn't dare imagine the consequences.
Walking up to Cassius, director Rupert Sanders was full of gratitude and gave Cassius a firm hug.
"Cass, thanks to you just now. Your reaction was incredibly fast. You prevented much more serious consequences. On behalf of the crew, thank you!"
[Director Rupert Sanders Favorability +20, Current Favorability: 48]
Favorability jumped 20 points in one go!
Cassius nodded. "Just doing what needed to be done. Glad no one got hurt."
Filming was temporarily halted to deal with the accident.
Cassius didn't linger. He nodded to Kristen and prepared to leave the set.
Although he hadn't completed his original goal for the day, the harvest far exceeded expectations. Not only did he pick up rare attributes, but he also significantly boosted the favorability of several key figures.
As Kristen watched Cassius's retreating back, the number [45] flickering above her head seemed poised to change again.
After the spotlight incident, Cassius could clearly feel a different atmosphere on the Snow White and the Huntsman set.
Before, when crew members saw him, most would give a polite nod, detached and courteous.
Now, quite a few people greeted him proactively:
"Hey, Cass!"
"How's it going today, Cass?"
"Thanks, man. We owe you one for the other day."
...
The favorability numbers above their heads had also universally risen by a chunk!
From the original [10-20] range, they had jumped to [30-50].
The female production assistant he saved had a favorability score of [85] whenever she saw him!
When Rupert Sanders saw Cassius, he walked over proactively, a smile on his face.
"Hey! Cass!"
"Your reaction speed that day was incredible! Mike told me you have a really strong foundation in action and performed excellently in those indie films before!"
Cassius nodded. "I trained with stuntmen for a while. I have some interest in action choreography."
Director Rupert rubbed his chin, sizing Cassius up as if evaluating something.
"We have a small role here. Originally, we cast a character actor, but he got injured at the last minute. It's not a big part, just a few shots!"
"It's a Forest Elf Scout corrupted by dark magic. It requires good physical expressiveness and involves a lot of special effects makeup. Are you interested in giving it a try?"
Cassius's heart stirred.
A special effects role with lines and action?
This was way better than being a mere background board or a generic thug!
Moreover, having a named role in such a big production on his record would be a great addition to his resume.
"I'm interested!"
Cassius agreed immediately. "Do I need to audition?"
"No need!"
Director Rupert waved his hand.
"Mike vouched for your ability, and I've seen rough cuts of Dark Currents. You're good enough!"
"It's just that the special effects makeup is time-consuming and uncomfortable. You need to be mentally prepared!"
"No problem!"
Cassius didn't hesitate.
Compared to the attributes he could pick up, a little discomfort from makeup was nothing.
[Professionalism recognized by Rupert Sanders. Favorability: +5, Current Favorability: 53]
Another unexpected harvest!
Cassius was looking forward to the upcoming performance even more!