[Chapter 293: Fall of the Superstar, Crafting the Sword]
"After all this hype, Sean Connery ended up shooting himself in the foot. Roger Moore completely overshadowed him, effectively using Sean as a stepping stone.
The buzz around The Rock Island kept climbing.
Originally, we had plans ready to unveil Sean's dirt, but before we could make a move, Roger had already crushed him. Sean's star power took a nosedive; he would never again be the top spy actor.
After discussions with Universal, we managed to get Roger and the movie hyped up, so we agreed to hold off on targeting Sean for now to avoid splitting the audience's attention.
Taking down Sean, now a sinking ship, could wait until the movie's run ended. We already had all the dirt lined up."
"Sounds like you nailed the core conflict. What happened next?"
"Who knows what CAA promised Warner Bros or if Warner Bros just lost their minds, but despite seeing how hot The Rock was, they suddenly announced at the end of April that Interview With the Vampire would also hit theaters on June 10, setting up a direct face-off."
"How did you handle that?"
"As you always say, if they don't play fair, we won't be noble either.
We launched a major media campaign exposing Tom Cruise's ties with the Church of Scientology and educated the public on what that actually meant.
Tom Cruise quickly became a mess.
Plus, he and Nicole Kidman had just divorced in early April, so rumors circulated that Scientology had driven them apart.
The combined effect was that many fans abandoned him, severely hurting Interview With the Vampire's box office."
"Wait, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman divorced?"
"Yeah, early April."
'Damn, Nicole moved fast. Seems like she couldn't avoid drama even if she tried.'
"Looks like it worked well," he said.
"Boss, it wasn't just good -- it was outstanding. Eight days after release, The Rock grossed $94.56 million, while Interview With the Vampire pulled in only $47.55 million -- barely half.
Warner Bros' reckless suicide move became a joke in the industry."
"I bet their management was crying their eyes out in the bathroom."
"Definitely. They're probably regretting it big time. They played a winning hand into a losing one, and I expect some serious accountability from Time Warner.
But the biggest loser was Tom Cruise. After this, a mass of fans turned away, and his box office pull tanked. His superstar status is likely gone.
Sean Connery's fate isn't any better."
"Well, that's CAA's self-inflicted wound. I wonder if they'll stay so arrogant going forward."
"For sure. A lot of people hate CAA for this. Other agencies have been quietly backing us up in the dirt campaign against Sean and Tom."
"Good. Keep a close eye on the continuing promotion. Don't slack off."
"Don't worry, boss. We'll keep tabs. The Rock's North American box office will definitely break $200 million."
"Good. When I get back, we'll celebrate."
"Thanks, boss. One more thing -- the post-production for The Fault in Our Stars is done, and we're tentatively set for an August 5 release."
"Perfect timing. That film targets teenagers and young adults -- a summer release fits perfectly."
"But without your review and approval, we're all a bit uneasy."
"No worries. This movie wins on story alone. Tell me, did anyone who watched it feel touched?"
"Everyone who saw it was moved to tears. I'm just worried it might be a bit too sentimental."
"That's the point. The tearjerker angle is its selling feature. Plus, the novel hit the New York Times bestseller list consecutively, which will give the film a big boost."
"Awesome. Boss, you really know your stuff."
...
After those calls, Linton put aside all distractions, preparing to return to the underground chamber to craft the sword in one stretch.
He quietly returned to the chamber, sat cross-legged, and meditated until his mind and spirit reached peak condition.
Step one in forging the sword was melting the material.
Linton conjured a flame, placing the refined precious metal he'd extracted into the fire, slowly burning it until fully liquefied and impurities were eliminated.
Seven days and nights passed; the metal completely melted into liquid, and impurities burned away.
Step two was shaping the sword core.
Guided by Linton's spiritual awareness, the liquid slowly formed into the shape of a sword. Although Linton had mentally simulated the sword's design countless times, the high melting point of the metal and lack of precise tools forced him to shape it delicately with his spiritual control.
After another seven days and nights, a seven-inch sword finally took form.
Fourteen consecutive days without rest, channeling his spiritual power and awareness, drained Linton, even as a Celestial Presence practitioner. His face was pale, spiritual energy depleted, and awareness nearly empty.
Having completed this phase, he could finally rest.
He immediately sat cross-legged to recover his nearly exhausted spiritual energy and awareness.
After two days and nights of meditation, his energy and awareness were fully restored.
Instead of immediately continuing the sword crafting, Linton crashed into a deep sleep -- his power had returned, but his spirit was still fatigued.
After 12 hours of solid sleep, Linton woke up feeling incredibly refreshed and in peak physical condition.
Step three was engraving enchantment arrays onto the sword, imbuing it with greater power.
Following the method for sword forging, Linton planned to carve three arrays: Swift Array, Solid Array, and Sharp Array.
Each array had to be engraved deep inside the sword by spiritual means carefully and precisely; any misstep would ruin the sword, forcing a complete restart.
All three arrays had to be carved in one uninterrupted session, demanding tremendous spiritual concentration, impossible for those below the Celestial Presence stage.
Everything was ready. Linton summoned fire to temper the sword, controlling the temperature to soften but not melt it.
His awareness extended into the sword, cautiously beginning the first array's engraving.
After 12 days without rest, the first array was finished.
He meditated to restore spiritual energy and awareness, then slept to recover his spirit.
The second array was engraved next, followed by the third.
Finally, all three arrays were complete. The sword emitted a clear chime and a faint golden glow.
The sword was preliminarily forged. Linton then made a cut on his hand and let his essence rich blood onto it -- this last step allowed the sword to recognize its master.
The sword absorbed the essence, glowing brightly before calming down to hover just over a foot long in front of him.
Linton reached out, summoned the sword into his hand, and felt a deep blood bond forming.
The sword seemed alive, responding to his will. It could morph in size -- from filling the entire chamber at its largest to shrinking to a light point that could be absorbed into his body for energy.
With that, his sword was successfully forged. As it absorbed spiritual energy from his body, the sword's power would continue to grow.
*****
https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.