Keanu knocked on the chairman’s office door. A familiar voice called from within: "Enter."
He stepped inside to find Arthur seated calmly behind his desk, reviewing some documents. Without ceremony, Keanu pulled a collection of small cores from his pocket and laid them carefully on the polished surface.
"These are the ’batteries’ my realm produced from your enemies," he said with his characteristic stoic expression.
Arthur leaned forward to examine the cores more closely. Twenty-four small, obsidian-black objects lay before him, their surfaces gleaming with contained energy. They certainly resembled Nether Cores in appearance, but what immediately caught his attention were two noticeably larger specimens among the collection.
Despite their size, Arthur could sense that the power contained within was significantly weaker than even his B-Class Nether Cores. These didn’t even qualify as C-Class—they seemed to fall somewhere between C-Class and D-Class in terms of energy output.
"Not bad at all," Arthur said, nodding thoughtfully. "I assume these two larger cores came from Viper and Tarsier?"
"Correct," Keanu confirmed, though his tone carried obvious disappointment. "Despite temporarily reaching demigod-level power using that Skull of Calamity artifact, they proved surprisingly weak. The cores they produced are... less impressive than I’d hoped."
His sympathetic expression remained unchanged despite his critical words—a peculiar combination that had become his trademark.
"It’s perfectly acceptable," Arthur assured him. "I believe these cores will be sufficient to power the airplane at my airport."
Keanu’s eyebrows rose slightly, genuine curiosity flickering in his eyes. "Is that why you asked me to capture those powerful beasts in New Holland and convert them into Nether Cores? To power this... ’airplane’ you mentioned?"
Arthur smiled at the question. A month ago, he had indeed sent Keanu to New Holland—the continent formerly known as "The Great Southern Land" before recent colonial expeditions. The United States of Empirica, Wales Kingdom, and several other nations had recently launched conquest efforts against the beast-inhabited landmass, agreeing to rename it New Holland. The rightful source is novel_fіre.net
The creatures there weren’t particularly impressive by Arthur’s standards, but they posed significant challenges to conventional military forces. Some beasts rivaled adult dragons in power, making them perfect subjects for experimenting with Keanu’s unique conversion abilities.
After a moment’s consideration, Arthur replied, "Partly, yes. I do need Nether Cores to power the airplane, but that’s not the primary reason."
He wasn’t ready to reveal his Divine Kingdom in the Divine World—that information could wait for a more appropriate time.
"I see," Keanu said, his curiosity clearly unsatisfied. "But what exactly is an ’airplane’? Don’t I have the right to know, considering you’ve been asking me to hunt beasts specifically for this purpose?"
Arthur stood up from his chair, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Well, if you’re genuinely curious, I suppose I can show you."
He waved his hand, and reality folded around them. In an instant, they materialized at the Horn Airship Port—a facility Arthur had purchased several months ago for thirty-five million global dollars.
The airport still housed its original fleet of aging airships, bulky vessels that had come as part of the purchase. These antiquated flying machines represented the current pinnacle of aerial transportation technology in this world, their gas-filled envelopes and rudimentary engines a far cry from what Arthur had in mind.
"As you can see, there are several airships here," Arthur said, gesturing toward the familiar balloon-like vessels. "But those aren’t what I mean by ’airplane.’" He pointed toward a hangar in the distance where a sleek, metallic craft sat partially concealed in shadow. "That’s what I call an airplane."
The vehicle was unlike anything in this world—a streamlined metal tube with swept-back wings extending from its sides, easily fifty percent larger than the bulky airships nearby. Its design was elegant and purposeful, with multiple small windows running along its fuselage and powerful-looking engines mounted beneath each wing.
Keanu’s eyes widened with genuine curiosity as he strode toward the aircraft, Arthur following at a more leisurely pace.
Standing before the impressive machine, Keanu stared up at its polished aluminum surface in wonder. "So this sleek vessel is the airplane? This is what requires the cores to power it?"
Arthur nodded, running his hand along the aircraft’s smooth hull. "Originally, it was designed to run on a liquid fuel system. I’m retrofitting it to operate on Nether Core energy instead. The conversion works, but it’s still inefficient since the modifications aren’t complete yet."
Despite his ability to fly and travel the world under his own divine power, Keanu found himself fascinated by the mechanical marvel before him. He’d ridden in airships before, but this craft represented something entirely different—sleeker, faster, more purposeful.
"Could we power it up and test it?" Keanu asked, his usual stoic demeanor cracking slightly to reveal boyish enthusiasm. "I’d like to experience what it feels like inside."
Arthur considered the request but shook his head reluctantly. "Not yet, I’m afraid. There’s still a risk of catastrophic failure mid-flight. My engineers are still working out several critical systems." He paused, noting Keanu’s disappointed expression. "The modifications aren’t complete enough for safe operation."
Keanu’s shoulders sagged slightly. "That’s unfortunate. Though I suppose we’d survive an explosion anyway, wouldn’t we?"
"We would be fine," Arthur chuckled, "but I’d rather not lose the aircraft. These are expensive to replace."
"I suppose that makes sense," Keanu conceded with a resigned sigh.
Arthur studied his companion’s face, noting how much Keanu had changed over the past year. His hair had grown longer, falling in dark waves past his shoulders, and combined with his naturally serious expression and tall, lean frame, he bore an uncanny resemblance to an action hero from Arthur’s previous life.
’He looks more like John Wick every day,’ Arthur mused with amusement. ’The transformation is almost perfect.’
Keanu noticed the scrutiny and turned slightly. "What is it?"
Arthur simply smiled and waved his hand, teleporting them both back to the office. Once they were settled, he leaned back in his chair and asked, "Keanu, are you ready to become an actor?"
The question hit Keanu like lightning. He went completely still, his composed expression faltering for the first time in months. Nearly a year had passed since Arthur had given him the name Keanu as a screen name and promised him a chance to entertain audiences. He’d begun to wonder if Arthur had forgotten that conversation entirely.
The ancient god found himself unexpectedly nervous, his heart hammering against his ribs in a way it hadn’t for centuries. His eyes brightened as he met Arthur’s gaze directly, hope and anticipation warring in his expression.
"Is it... is it finally time?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, as if speaking too loudly might shatter this long-awaited opportunity.
Arthur nodded, his smile widening with genuine satisfaction. "Yes, it’s time. I specifically sent you after my enemies partly to observe your performance in action—and based on what I’ve seen, I believe you’re more than ready to star in my next film."
Keanu straightened immediately, his usual composed demeanor cracking to reveal pure excitement. "Really? Will I be playing the protagonist?"
His enthusiasm was almost endearing—here was an ancient god, capable of devastating divine power, practically bouncing on his feet at the prospect of acting in a movie. Nearly a year of living among mortals and consuming their entertainment had transformed him into quite the cinema enthusiast.
Arthur observed his reaction with amusement, finding the contrast between Keanu’s divine nature and his current excitement genuinely entertaining. "Yes, you’ll be the lead character. The protagonist’s name is John Wick."
The moment the name left Arthur’s lips, something shifted in Keanu’s expression. His excitement remained, but now it was tempered with a more serious understanding, as if the name itself carried weight and meaning that resonated with something deep within him.
"John Wick," Keanu repeated slowly, testing how the name felt on his tongue. "What kind of character is he?"
Arthur leaned back in his chair, already envisioning how perfectly Keanu would embody the role. "He’s a man with a very particular set of skills—someone who’s tried to leave his past behind but gets pulled back into a world he thought he’d escaped. Someone who values loyalty, precision, and justice above all else."
Keanu’s eyes lit up with understanding and anticipation. After months of watching Arthur’s films and studying the craft of acting, he was finally going to have his chance to step in front of the camera and bring a character to life.
"When do we begin?" he asked, his voice steady but filled with barely contained eagerness.