The agency contract with Rob was signed quickly.
The two met in the small office Rob rented, signed the papers, and shook hands.
The smile on Rob's face was a few degrees more sincere than usual, and the favorability score above his head remained firmly at [70].
"Welcome to the team officially, Cass."
Rob put away his copy of the contract.
"Now let's talk about your first big test: Thor!"
He handed Cassius a few pages.
"These are the audition sides the casting department just sent over."
"Marvel is like this, guarding against spoilers like guarding against thieves!"
Rob complained.
"But this is enough for you to chew on!"
"The key points are Fandral's agility, loyalty, and that touch of small arrogance and humor of an Asgardian noble."
"Branagh likes actors to have a bit of theatrical flair, but don't be too exaggerated. After all, this is Marvel, not an actual Shakespearean stage!"
Cassius took the pages and scanned them quickly.
One scene was a dialogue between Fandral and the other two Warriors Three sparring on the training grounds, carrying a bit of brotherly banter.
Another was a monologue showing his swordsmanship and determination when facing invaders.
There was also a brief exchange with Lady Sif, requiring a hint of subtle admiration.
Not many lines, but a lot of information!
He needed to bring to life a warrior who had lived for thousands of years in a fictional divine realm and make it believable to the audience.
Huge pressure!
For the next two days, Cassius went into seclusion mode.
The big house in Beverly Hills became his private rehearsal studio.
He moved the furniture aside to clear a space and practiced his posture and sword-swinging movements against the reflection in the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Not finding a suitable prop, Cassius used a long-handled umbrella he found temporarily.
"Relax the shoulders, power from the wrist. Imagine you're not swinging an umbrella, but a longsword imbued with the divine power of Asgard..."
He muttered to himself while gesturing, feeling like he had a terminal case of chunibyo.
Kristen came back to see this scene and almost laughed until she choked.
"Hey, Umbrella Man of Asgard, need me to call Heimdall to open the Bifrost for you?"
Cassius rolled his eyes at her. "Don't disturb my cultivation!"
Roasting aside.
Kristen did provide substantial help.
She knew a senior drama coach named Isabella who had worked on several historical epics, specializing in training actors in deportment and dialogue.
One phone call brought her to the house.
The coach was a British woman in her fifties with a rigorous demeanor.
Seeing Cassius, she didn't waste words and directly asked him to perform the audition sides once.
Cassius braced himself and performed the scenes with the umbrella.
Isabella watched with arms crossed, her brow slightly furrowed.
"Stop!"
"Fandral is Asgardian. His demeanor should be lighter, elegant, carrying an innate sense of superiority and near-instinctive combat proficiency."
"This isn't posturing; it's something carved into the bones!"
She hit the nail on the head.
The [Force] and [Control] Cassius absorbed before were mostly based on human biomechanics, while a divine warrior needed a style that slightly transcended physical laws.
"Come, watch me!"
Isabella demonstrated a simple turn and sword-holding stance.
Her movement was fluid and extended, carrying a sense of power, as if the surrounding space changed slightly with her motion.
The moment she demonstrated, a purple attribute orb dropped.
[Physical Attribute — Elegance & Power +5]
Cassius's eyes lit up, and he absorbed it immediately.
An understanding of how to coordinate core strength with the extremities to display an unhurried demeanor flooded his mind.
He tried to mimic Isabella's movement.
This time felt distinctly different!
His body seemed to automatically adjust its center of gravity and method of exerting force. The umbrella in his hand was no longer a comical prop, but seemed to genuinely possess the bearing of a weapon.
A flash of surprise crossed Isabella's eyes.
"Oh? Not bad. Found the feeling so quickly? Seems your aptitude is very good!"
She gave a few more pointers on dialogue rhythm and breathing. While she was focused on explaining, a blue attribute orb dropped.
[Dialogue Attribute — Classical Cadence +3]
Cassius listened while frantically absorbing.
Isabella coached for two hours. Cassius felt like he had gone through a high-intensity boot camp, gaining immense rewards.
After sending the teacher off, he didn't rest but continued practicing in front of the mirror, consolidating the attributes and insights he had just absorbed.
Kristen leaned against the doorframe with a cup of coffee, watching him practice, interjecting occasionally.
"Relax your expression a bit more. Fandral is going to a fight, not a royal banquet."
"Hey, when talking to Sif, put a bit more admiration in your eyes, but don't be too explicit. Asgardian gentlemen aren't creepy."
Having been in the industry for so many years, her eye was sharp, and she always gave practical advice.
While practicing the monologue facing the invaders, Cassius couldn't find that steadfast feeling of fighting for his homeland; it felt a bit hollow.
Kristen watched a few times, put down her coffee cup, walked over to stand in front of him, and stared into his eyes.
"Imagine if someone broke in right now, wanted to destroy this place, wanted to hurt me. What would you do?"
Cassius paused.
Looking into her serious gray-green eyes, his brain instantly substituted the scenario. A wave of protectiveness and anger instinctively surged up.
"That's the look right now!"
Kristen pointed at his face. "Remember this feeling!"
Cassius had an epiphany and recited the monologue again.
This time, his voice carried undeniable determination and power.
A blue attribute orb [Emotional Attribute — Conviction +3] generated from his own body, and he quickly absorbed it.
"Beautiful!"
Kristen applauded. "Looks like I'm a pretty competent temporary director."
Besides professional coaching, Cassius also put in hard work himself.
He repeatedly watched clips from epic movies with classical or fantasy themes, observing how actors portrayed non-human characters, studying their body language and dialogue delivery.
He also dragged Kristen to run lines, making her randomly play other characters to train his improvisational reaction skills.
Under high-intensity, targeted preparation, Cassius's progress was visible to the naked eye.
His understanding of the character Fandral deepened, no longer just a few adjectives on paper.
He could feel that unique temperament of an Asgardian warrior slowly forming in his every gesture.
In the attribute panel, although the base levels hadn't changed, the purple and blue rare attributes he absorbed were constantly being digested, becoming part of his acting ability.
The night before the audition, Cassius finished his last practice, his T-shirt soaked with sweat.
He looked at his sharp-eyed, upright reflection in the mirror and took a deep breath.
The crash course was over.
Whether he could win the ticket to Asgard depended on his on-the-spot performance tomorrow.
Kristen walked over and handed him a bottle of water. "Ready?"
Cassius unscrewed the cap, took a big swig, and wiped his mouth. "Do my best and leave the rest to fate."
"Not bad. Very Asgardian mindset!"
Kristen smiled and patted his arm. "Go for it tomorrow, my warrior."