The thick, heavy rope was yanked tight.
A surge of force tightened the knot, instantly binding Captain Barbossa's arms and body so securely he could barely move.
He struggled fiercely for a moment, but it was no use—Will had tied the knots too well.
Then he remembered the cutlass in his hand.
Even though his arms were pinned, he figured he could carefully angle the blade to slice through the rope.
But in the next second, his plan was shattered.
Will hurled his longsword, sending it flying over 50 feet to knock the pirate's cutlass right out of his hand.
This was Luke, wielding his master-level throwing knife skill to launch the sword with pinpoint accuracy and incredible force.
The sheer power not only disarmed Barbossa but threw him off balance.
Barbossa stumbled backward, tumbling off the crossbar.
"Ah!"
With a startled cry, his body jerked in midair, then stopped.
The ropes binding him left him dangling upside down.
He thrashed desperately, but it was futile.
"For an unkillable monster, hanging upside down like this is the safest way to handle it," Will said with a grin.
If a boss has an infinite health bar, then locking it down with control skills might be the only way to go.
Will slid down the crossbar, flipping and leveraging his momentum a few times before landing smoothly on the deck.
The whole sequence was clean and fluid, leaving the audience in awe.
"Cut!"
As Will's feet hit the deck, the scene wrapped.
Director Gore Verbinski rushed over from the filming station, buzzing with excitement. "Luke, you did it! I don't even know how to express how thrilled I am right now. You created a miracle!"
"It's not just me—it's us. We all created this miracle together," Luke replied.
"Damn, that's classy, but I love it! You sure you don't want to check out those models I told you about? Come on, you're young—don't you wanna live a little?" Johnny Depp chimed in, grinning cheekily.
Before Luke could respond, someone crashed into him, wrapping him in a tight hug.
It was Anne Hathaway.
Luke looked into her tear-reddened eyes, her concern for him clear as day.
He gently reached out, brushing his hand through her golden hair.
Filming Pirates of the Caribbean together for months had deepened their bond. It was only natural she'd be this worried about him after such a high-stakes scene.
"Oh~"
"Whoa~"
The crew's good-natured teasing filled the air, and Anne pulled back, her face flushed a vibrant pink, looking absolutely stunning.
"No wonder you're not into my models—hard to top someone like Anne," Johnny muttered under his breath.
Luke was about to respond when golden system text appeared before his eyes:
[Host has completed a B-level danger action scene. Reward: 5 attribute points.]
Finally done!
Luke waved to the crew, signaling he needed a quick break.
The team nodded understandingly. After pulling off such a thrilling and dangerous stunt, it made sense that an actor would need a moment to decompress.
Luke sat off to the side and pulled up his stats panel, which he hadn't checked in a while:
[Name: Luke]
[Age: 19]
[Strength: 19]
[Agility: 20]
[Stamina: 15]
[Available Attribute Points: 6]
[Skills: Master-Level Swordsmanship, Master-Level Parkour, Master-Level Throwing Knives, Master-Level Hand-to-Hand Combat, Master-Level Line Delivery, Master-Level Acting Skills, Advanced Acting Insights, Master-Level Marksmanship, Master-Level Blade Skills, Master-Level Japanese, Master-Level Gymnastics]
[B-Level Danger Action Scene Success Rate: 68%]
It was February now, and in just over a month, he'd turn 20.
The past year had been a wild ride, with life-threatening action scenes, but the rewards were worth it.
He was confident that once Hero and Pirates of the Caribbean hit theaters, he'd officially join the ranks of Hollywood's A-list leading men.
If not for the bias against non-Anglo actors, he might've already broken into the $20 million club.
But even with that invisible barrier, Luke was sure his stellar performances would carve out his own space in the industry.
Now, for the fun part: assigning those attribute points.
First, he'd bump his strength to 20, then put the rest into stamina.
[Strength: 19 → 20]
[Available Attribute Points: 6 → 4]
With his strength now at 20, Luke was pushing the limits of human potential.
His throwing knife accuracy was lethal up to 260 feet.
After his encounter with the wolf pack while filming Hero, Luke had asked Mr. Eisen to custom-make a set of metal business cards.
Per his request, the cards came in three weights for different scenarios.
The heaviest ones, powered by his 20 strength points, could hit targets 130 feet away with enough force to kill in one shot.
The lightest ones could reach 100 feet, injuring but not killing.
For Luke, strength was his second-most important stat, right behind agility.
This boost made him wonder—if he mastered the right techniques, could he compete in weightlifting or strongman contests? The visual impact would be insane.
He made a mental note to explore that idea.
[Detected: Host's strength has reached 20 points. Advanced Acting Skills upgraded to Master-Level Acting Skills.]
Finally! With his strength at 20, Luke unlocked another master-level skill.
If he could get his stamina to 20, he'd achieve his first true skill fusion upgrade.
The familiar memory infusion kicked in, but he skipped the details.
If advanced acting skills made him as good as a seasoned veteran—someone who could snag an Oscar years down the line with enough clout—then master-level acting skills put him in a league of his own.
Luke was confident that with this acting prowess alone, he could become a legend.
Even if he stepped away from action roles, his performances would be studied in acting schools worldwide, a gold standard for aspiring actors.
But master-level acting was more than just skill—it gave him the ability to live life like a performance, blending reality and art.
Every word and gesture could now convey exactly what he wanted.
If he wanted to come across as sincere, people would feel it, even if his heart wasn't in it, making them like him more.
In a way, he'd gained the power to influence others' emotions through his own.
Of course, this influence was subtle, guiding people's feelings through interaction rather than outright control.
Master-level acting was a game-changer.
It was another core skill in Luke's arsenal.