Luke brought Yui Aragaki back to the Tokyo Imperial Palace Hotel. After getting her settled in a room, he quickly headed back to his own.
The system's rewards had him itching to check them out.
[Please choose one of the following two skill rewards.]
[Reward 1: Driving Skills (Master Level)]
[Reward 2: Riding Skills (Master Level)]
Master-level driving skills?
The kind where you blaze your own trail off-road? Or the kind for handling big, powerful American cars?
Master-level riding skills?
Riding what, some thoroughbred horse?
If it wasn't a choice between the two, there might've been some suspense.
But as it stood, it definitely wasn't what he was hoping for.
Otherwise, it'd just be the same skill—no need for a choice.
So, horseback riding or driving a car—which was better?
Luke was torn.
From a filmmaking perspective, master-level riding skills might actually be more useful.
Movies like Fast & Furious don't really require top-notch driving skills from actors—most of the magic happens in post-production.
But for filming ancient battle scenes with horseback combat, riding skills are the real deal. You can't play a mounted general if you can't ride a horse.
They can't just fake it like some modern movies do, filming only the upper body with a fake horse head, right?
But from an everyday life perspective, master-level driving skills were the clear winner.
Times have changed. Nobody rides horses to get around anymore, but driving is practically a life necessity.
So, which to pick?
Luke quickly ran through the movies he wanted to work on next. They were mostly Hollywood productions, so the chances of needing to ride a horse seemed slim.
It was a bit of a shame—he didn't know when the system would offer riding skills again—but Luke made the call and chose master-level driving skills.
That familiar flood of memories hit him again, but this time, the driving experience was massive and varied.
It wasn't just the flashy stunt driving for movie scenes he'd imagined.
Sure, that was part of it, but only a small fraction.
Most of it was experience driving all kinds of vehicles under every road condition imaginable.
In his memories, he was tearing down an F1 track in a low-slung Formula 1 car.
He'd driven modified rally cars, speeding through rugged mountain terrain.
He'd handled heavy-duty trucks, bulldozers, massive mining vehicles, and even specialized logging trucks, pulling off insane maneuvers with ease.
Driving skills were one-third technique, one-third understanding the vehicle's performance, and one-third experience handling different road conditions.
All of this came together to form the complete framework of master-level driving skills, ensuring Luke would never meet a vehicle he couldn't handle.
This skill was a game-changer for his daily life, but would it help with filmmaking?
"System, check my success rate for filming action scenes involving driving."
[No need to take unnecessary risks. For vehicle-related action scenes, post-production is recommended. The host will not receive rewards for performing in such scenes.]
Luke groaned, rubbing his temples. The system was straight-up telling him it didn't encourage risky stunts like that.
Fine, so master-level driving skills were purely for daily life—but still a core skill.
It'd been a long day. From landing in Tokyo to dealing with everything that followed, this exhausting day was finally over.
…
…
The next day, Luke wrapped up two things in Tokyo.
First, the formal apprenticeship ceremony with the three kendo masters. Second, Yui Aragaki's contract.
Then, he hopped on a plane to Kyoto, in Japan's Kansai region.
The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) had chosen Kyoto as the filming location for their tourism promo.
Japan's tourism spots are pretty limited. Tokyo and Mount Fuji have been done to death, and Hokkaido's not much to look at this time of year.
That left the three ancient capitals: Kamakura, Nara, and Kyoto.
The JNTO picked Kyoto.
As the capital during the Muromachi period, Kyoto's packed with historic sites.
Sure, it's no match for the grandeur of ancient civilization, but Japan's understated, minimalist charm has its own appeal. It's nice to soak it in every now and then.
The short film was being shot at Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion.
Despite the name, it's not actually a temple. It was the retirement retreat of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the third shogun of the Muromachi shogunate.
Yup, the same stubborn yet hilarious General Yoshimitsu from Ikkyū-san.
Who's subduing who here? "I'm conquering myself"?
Kinkaku-ji's real name is Rokuon-ji, a three-story wooden building shaped like a gold ingot.
The first floor, with its brown wood and white walls, is the Hosui-in, a space for spiritual practice.
The second floor, the Cho-on-do, houses a statue of Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion.
The third floor is a square Buddhist hall with three Amida Buddha statues.
The second and third floors are covered in gold leaf on the walls and beams, making the whole building shimmer—hence the name Golden Pavilion.
It was spring, the perfect season for stunning views.
Lush green mountains, sparkling golden architecture, and a serene lake reflecting it all created a breathtaking scene.
Unlike more approachable temples like Kiyomizu-dera or Senso-ji, Kinkaku-ji carries an air of ruling-class authority—distant, yet dripping with refined elegance.
The JNTO's choice to film Luke's promo here was a subtle gesture of respect.
After all, a VIP from the "daddy country" deserved a shoot that screamed high-class, sophisticated, and full of prestige to show their sincerity.
The promo's plot was simple: Luke, playing a tourist, is admiring ancient texts at Kinkaku-ji and dozes off.
When he wakes up, he's shocked to find himself transported to the Warring States period.
Three swordmasters, playing blade-wielding assassins, storm in to kill the shogun but find Luke instead.
In the nick of time, Yui Aragaki, playing a sword-serving attendant, hands him a katana.
Armed, Luke takes down the enemies with stunning swordplay.
The fight scene was actually a recreation of the brawl from the "Hanama" private room that day.
It perfectly showcased Luke's sharp, graceful swordsmanship while highlighting Kinkaku-ji's beauty and the flair of Japanese sword arts.
A win-win, though Luke arguably got the better deal.
After all, he was boosting his global profile by standing on the reputation of Japan's kendo legends.
And the Japanese didn't see it as a loss. Their culture reveres strength: if you're strong enough and they can learn from you, hyping you up isn't shameful.
With the short film wrapped, Luke's Japan trip had achieved its purpose.
Mr. Eisen and his crew had already headed back to New York.
Luke had a few personal matters to tie up, so he stayed a few more days.
Right now, he was strolling through Kyoto's ancient streets with a radiant young girl by his side.