ryethenovel Chapter 73 Vampires and Urban Legends
Chapter 73 Vampires and Urban Legends
Jinghai City, Chasing Light Film and Television Base.
More than a month ago…
In this park, which is revered by countless fans as a "holy land of tokusatsu," the atmosphere today seems particularly... eerie.
Despite it being broad daylight with the sun shining brightly, black blackout cloths were strung up outside Studio 3, and there was even a jokingly warning sign at the entrance that read, "No unauthorized personnel allowed, evil spirits inside."
Inside the photography studio, a strong sense of Gothic melancholy permeated the air.
That's right, what's being filmed right now is a very unique episode of "Ultraman Tiga"—episode 33, "Dark City".
In Gu Nan's original world, this episode became a childhood nightmare for countless people because of its unique film noir feel, tragic love story, and classic "vampire" setting.
This time, Gu Nan went all out.
He not only brought in the best art team in Jinghai to transform the entire studio into a "dark city" full of the decadent aesthetics of the late 20th century, but also paid meticulous attention to the costumes and props.
"Makeup artist, that vampire makeup... it's too clean!"
Gu Nan walked up to an actress.
The actress's name is Lin Ya, and she is a talented actress whom Gu Nan specially invited for the role of "Xue Na".
At this moment, she was wearing a medieval-style black lace dress, and her skin was painted deathly pale.
"I want a pale, sickly beauty, with deep-set eyes and a faint trace of blood at the corner of the mouth, but not too disgusting, with a kind of poignant beauty."
As Gu Nan gestured, he said, "She is a victim of tragedy, not simply a monster."
"Understood, Director."
The makeup artist quickly stepped forward to touch up the makeup.
Meanwhile, Zhao Gang, the actor who plays the deputy captain Zong Fang, is looking helplessly at the prop in his hand—a glass of milk.
"Director Gu, this... drinking milk in a bar again. I could let it go last time, but doing this all the time seems a bit out of place," Zhao Gang said with a wry smile.
"It doesn't feel out of place; that's the charm of the character's unexpected contrast!"
Gu Nan chuckled, "Just imagine, a tough-guy deputy captain ordering a hot milk in that kind of mixed-race bar, how vivid is that image? And you have a lot of screen time in this episode, you're the one who embodies the 'tough guy with a soft heart'."
Besides Munakata, another key character in this episode is the reporter who always has stubble and looks decadent and unruly—Yata (Onoda).
For this role, Gu Nan specially invited an old actor who had played down-on-his-luck police officers in many crime dramas.
His eyes, which seemed to have seen through the coldness and indifference of the world, were practically Onoda himself.
"Attention all departments!"
Gu Nan sat back down in front of the monitor, looking at the smoky, dimly lit street on the screen.
"Ultraman Tiga Episode 33, Dark City, Scene 1, Action!"
……
Time slipped away quietly amidst the busy post-production work.
As Friday night fell once again, countless viewers who had long since developed the habit opened Bilibili on time.
The updates to Ultraman Tiga have become a "Friday Night of Revelry" for young people across the internet.
Last week's "The Battle of Zelda Center" brought tears to many viewers' eyes, and the scene of Sila transforming into a phoenix and flying into the universe is still trending on various short video platforms.
Everyone is curious about what kind of tricks Gu Nan, the "master of emotional manipulation," will pull this week.
The video will be updated at 8 PM.
The moment the title was announced, the comments section erupted in a frenzy.
Episode 33: The Dark City.
[Wuhu~ is here!]
[Freshly cooked]
[A dark city? Is it about gangsters? Gotham?!]
I have a feeling this episode might go horror!
The main feature begins.
This time, there was no sunny park, no cozy Victory Team command center.
The film opens with a long take that has a very cinematic feel.
In the dead of night in Jinghai City, neon lights flash, but they cannot illuminate the dark corners.
The streets are quiet at this time of year when the bustling city is utterly silent.
A sports car was parked empty in the middle of the road.
A patrol officer approached...
Suddenly, the streetlights flickered, and a strange bat call pierced the night sky.
In the shadows, a hideous face revealed sharp fangs.
Without any wasted words, he pounced on it!
Screams, tearing sounds, and chilling chewing noises... Although the visuals were darkened and no gory scenes were shown directly, the terrifying atmosphere instantly sent many timid viewers huddled under the covers.
Holy crap! Vampires really exist?!
[Is this Ultraman?! Isn't this a horror movie?!]
[This is a childhood nightmare! It scared the hell out of me!]
[This cinematography, this lighting—Gu Nan, did you study vampire movies in Hollywood? It's so authentic!]
With a terrifying scream behind his ear, the policeman disappeared into the darkness.
……
Jazz music flowed lazily as the camera panned across an underground bar called "METRO".
The bar was filled with smoke, and all sorts of people were clinking glasses and exchanging toasts.
In the corner of the bar, a tough guy in a leather jacket with a buzz cut sat with a serious expression.
In front of him was a glass of...steaming milk.
After the Silizan incident in episode 5, Munakata and Yoda often meet here.
Maybe we'll even have a drink together sometimes.
Of course, Munakata, who claims to have quit drinking, has always been drinking milk.
[Is that Vice Captain Munakata? He's dressed up so well!]
[Still coming to the bar to drink milk? Are you a minor, Commander?!]
In fact, Munakata doesn't drink alcohol at all.
Actually, Munakata doesn't know how to fight monsters at all (just kidding).
Regarding quitting alcohol...
However, the relaxed atmosphere did not last long.
A drunken middle-aged man sat down next to Zong Fang. He had a stubble beard and glazed eyes; he was none other than reporter Ye Tian.
The conversation between the two leads to the theme of this episode—vampires.
"Have you heard that rumor lately? Vampires are hunting humans at night..."
Ye Tian swirled his wine glass, his eyes carrying a hint of mockery, yet also seeming to conceal some kind of fear.
Zongfang took a sip of milk and scoffed, "You believe those urban legends?"
Although Zongfang and Yetian met at a bar, they could sometimes chat.
However, Zongfang always kept a certain distance from Ye Tian, especially at work.
This may be due to the special nature of Munakata's work and his experience as a soldier.
When Ye Tian mentioned that this matter should be handled by the Victory Team, Munakata already sensed a hint of probing.
However, Zongfang did not listen to him continue.
"Perhaps... Today is the anniversary of her death, I might have drunk too much." Ye Tian gave a bitter smile and turned to leave.
Watching Ye Tian's lonely figure, the audience keenly sensed a hint of a story.
[This guy definitely has a story to tell!]
[Anniversary of his death? Did his wife get bitten by a vampire?]
[Don't jinx it; in Gu Laozei's dramas, these kinds of predictions usually come true.]
……
The plot moves forward rapidly.
Because of the frequent occurrence of mysterious disappearances.
The Victory team has launched an investigation.
Vice Captain Munakata personally led the team because he discovered that the mysterious vampire incident seemed to be related to the "urban legend" that Ye Tian had mentioned.
According to reports of the disappearances from Yeri, the locations of the disappearances are in several clusters, all distributed in the bay area.
Meanwhile, brown hair was also found in the grass in Xincheng.
This forced Munakata, who had been skeptical of Ye Tian's words, to seriously consider the existence of vampires...
On the way back to base.
When Daigo heard Munakata's speculations about vampires, he also thought it was nonsense.
But then, a woman lay down in front of the Drum patrol car.
"Oh! Are you alright?"
The simple-minded Daigo quickly got out of the car to check on the woman and then took her back to the Victory Team base.
Then a man appeared on the previously deserted road, smiling eerily.
Daigo and the others were unaware that all of this was a conspiracy by the vampire beast Syranos...
In the middle of the night, the mysterious woman who had just been lying in the hospital bed suddenly opened her eyes and then revealed vampire-like fangs.
Her purpose in this trip was to assassinate the captain of the Victory Team, Kei Iruma.
At this moment, the captain in the room vaguely sensed someone behind her. When she turned around, the vampire had already pounced on her, and the two began to wrestle.
Meanwhile, Zongfang, who was still thinking about things, noticed the abnormality at the base. He saw several defense personnel lying unconscious on the ground and had a premonition that the captain closest to the base was in danger.
Inside the room of the vampire, the captain was knocked unconscious due to the vampire's overwhelming strength.
Just as the vampire was about to attack Kijima, Munakata arrived in time to save the captain's life. In the end, the vampire had no choice but to jump into the sea to escape.
At this moment, Zongfang finally saw the vampire that Ye Tian had described.
Meanwhile, Ye Rui analyzed the hair he brought back last night and discovered that it was the body hair of a type of vampire bat that lives in South America.
It seems that Ye Tian's theory about vampires is not just a wild guess.
Looking at the unconscious Iruma, Muneko, besides blaming himself, began to tell Daigo about his past with the captain...
"This is all my responsibility!"
"But under those circumstances..."
Daigo wanted to persuade Munakata not to blame himself.
However, Munakata recalled the past.
"I remember when I was in the defense force, I almost lost my life because of my own mistake."
"Back then, when I was about to give up, the captain risked her life to pull me out of the abyss of despair..."
"I should take full responsibility for what happened today..."
The audience was able to understand through the words.
Despite his tough exterior, Captain Zong Fang also has a tender side.
Wow, so there's a story between them too!
Good heavens, she's the white moonlight!
[I still want to complain... Why does the GUTS team bring everything back to headquarters?]
……
As the investigation deepened, a heartbreaking truth gradually surfaced.
First, Ye Tian introduced the vampire virus to Zong Fang.
I heard it's a virus from South America.
Back then, because he wasn't interested in topics like vampire legends, he passed the task of investigating in South America to a girl named Xuena.
Unfortunately, the virus that turns people into vampires does indeed exist...
After her partner, Xuena, went to a village in South America to report on a strange disease, she never returned...
However, recently, the missing persons cases in this city have become connected.
The female vampire who attacks humans at night is none other than Ye Tian's partner and lover who disappeared in South America five years ago—Xue Na!
The flashback was inserted like a faded old photograph.
Five years ago, Ye Tian and Xue Na were a pair of spirited war correspondents. To uncover the truth, they traveled to various countries...
"We want to bring the truth to the world!"
At that time, Xuena had a bright smile and her eyes sparkled.
However, that dispute over the interview location prevented them from ever seeing each other again.
Ye Tian thought she was dead, but for the past five years, he has never stopped searching for her, nor has he ever stopped blaming himself.
"If only I hadn't let go of her hand that day..."
In the bar, Ye Tian, having regained his senses, poured his heart out to Zong Fang. At that moment, this dejected middle-aged man cried like a child.
The audience fell silent.
[This is devastating! My missing lover turned into a vampire?!]
This is a bit upsetting...
[It suddenly occurred to me that when a terrible virus broke out in Africa, many journalists risked their lives to cover it.]
No wonder he was so dejected; he was carrying such a heavy past.
The climax is approaching.
The Victory Team has located the vampires' lair—an abandoned old disco.
This was a tough battle. The Victory Team members stormed in with ultraviolet guns and wiped out a large number of vampire minions.
The group continued deeper into the area, and Munakata, Daigo, and Rena discovered a coffin lying horizontally in front of them.
Lina couldn't help but sigh at this moment.
"This is exactly the same scene I've seen in movies."
Zong Fang opened the coffin in front of him, and billowing steam rose out.
At this moment, the curious Daigo stepped forward and touched it, only to be instantly pulled inside by something in the coffin.
Here, the strange man from before reappeared; he was the leader of the vampire clan.
He proclaimed that the great Night Elves were about to rule the Earth and advised that humans, as inferior beings, had better surrender.
The great god of night will descend and rule.
The god the man spoke of was the vampire beast Hyranos.
This plot is very similar to the Kyrielords who appeared before, who also descended to Earth in the guise of gods.
Daigo picked up the Spark Lens, ready to transform, but found that the Spark Lens had lost its light in this dark space.
The last one who was so vocal has already been reduced to ashes with the gates of hell!
He said Daigo was a lower form of life? Have you ever seen a lower form of animal that emits light?
They always believed they were immortal, capable of eternal life. Physiologically, they were superior, but strictly speaking, they were merely a group of parasites controlled by some kind of virus.
……
Deep inside the ballroom, Zongfang led the group to surround the last vampire.
And that vampire was none other than Xuena.
Just as the Victory Team was about to completely eliminate her, Ye Tian rushed in without hesitation and grabbed Xue Na, who was contorted in a ferocious expression and about to attack.
"Stop! Don't shoot!"
"Ye Tian! Get out of the way!"
Zongfang shouted.
"I won't let go!... It's me, it's Ye Tian!"
Ye Tian held onto the cold body tightly, letting Xue Na's sharp nails pierce his shoulder, staining his clothes with blood.
The two actors delivered a brilliant performance in this dramatic scene.
Ye Tian's madness in trying to awaken his lover in despair; Xue Na's struggle and pain in her eyes the instant she heard her lover's call.
The comments section was filled with people who were moved to tears.
"Don't bite! That's your senior brother!"
[Waaaaah, what a angst-filled romance story!]
[Although it's a cliché, the acting was so good, I cried so much.]
Just when everyone thought Ye Tian was doomed, an unexpected scene unfolded.
The red light in Xue Na's eyes faded, and a sliver of clarity returned.
She looked at the man covered in blood and let out a mournful cry.
She knew that she could no longer turn back into a human.
"Xena?"
Ye Tian sensed something was wrong with the person in his arms.
Shera pushed Ye Tian away abruptly and turned to run towards the windowsill.
"Xena! What are you doing!" Ye Tian seemed to realize something and screamed desperately.
But it was all too late.
Sheena rushed to the window and forcefully pulled open the heavy curtains.
Swish-!
The blazing sunlight instantly shone into this dark corner.
"ah--!"
In the blinding light, Xuena's figure gradually became transparent, turning into specks of dust.
She turned back to look at Ye Tian one last time; there was no pain in her eyes, only relief and acceptance.
For her, facing herself again and embracing the light once more is the best ending.
[Holy crap!!! She committed suicide!]
She deliberately pushed Ye Tian away!
[She chose to die in the light rather than live as a monster; this woman is so cool!]
For you, I transformed into a human...
The light of humanity has overshadowed the darkness of the vampires.
The sunlight not only took away Xuena, but also shone into the coffin where Daigo was trapped, instantly annihilating the vampire leader.
However, the real darkness was not over.
The scorching light enraged the mastermind behind it all – the vampire beast Hyranos.
It began to grow enormous, summoning a sky full of dark clouds that once again obscured the sunlight that had just appeared, plunging the entire city into even deeper darkness.
Everyone quickly left the dance hall, and Daigo transformed into Ultraman Tiga to fight!
But this time, in the dark home environment, Hyranos was exceptionally powerful.
Tiga's several attacks failed to break through the defenses, and he was instead tormented by the monster's powerful hypnotic waves.
Even more shockingly, Hyranos bit Tiga's neck with his sharp teeth...
Seeing that Tiga was in dire straits, the man who had just lost his lover stepped forward.
Ye Tian picked up a UV gun, got on his motorcycle, and gave chase.
"Attack its eyes!" Munakata shouted into the communicator.
Ye Tian raised his gun while speeding along.
At that moment, he recalled countless times he had taken photos of Xuena.
In his eyes, the weapon in his hand was no longer a gun, but the shutter of a camera.
"For Scherna!"
Ye Tian pressed the trigger, just like pressing the shutter button.
No bullet was fired, but a bright flash of light!
A precise shot to the monster's eye!
At the same time, Munakata fired a follow-up shot, blinding the monster's other eye.
Deprived of his strongest weapon, Hyranos roared in agony, and the oppression of darkness was instantly lifted.
It wanted to escape.
But at this moment, the back of the flying Shranos was exposed to Tiga.
Tiga seized this fleeting opportunity.
Freeze-light beam!
Immediately afterwards, hands crossed – Zepelion Ray!
A white stream of light pierced the darkness, completely penetrating the vampire beast's body.
boom--!
With a huge explosion, the dark clouds dispersed, and the red glow of the setting sun bathed the earth, as if a new life had been born.
The battle is over.
Bathed in the glow of the setting sun, Ye Tian walked away alone.
That evening, Zongfang returned to the small tavern and drank milk alone.
At that moment, a familiar figure appeared – Captain Kijima.
Seeing Zongfang's tense expression, Jujian Hui teased, "Vice Captain, you should just drink some milk. You're always so serious, no wonder you're still single."
The moment the two were playfully fighting was captured by the tavern owner and posted on the photo wall.
The camera slowly zooms in, and following the photo, viewers discover another photo posted in an inconspicuous spot in the corner.
That was a photo taken five years ago in this tavern, showing a spirited Ye Tian and a smiling Xue Na.
The image freezes.
There is no sentimental narration, only endless blank space.
……
The series has ended.
Gu Nan's phone was bombarded with messages once again.
This time, not only the tokusatsu community, but also many film critics in the film industry couldn't sit still.
"I originally thought 'Ultraman Tiga' was just a popular short series, until I watched tonight's 'Dark City.' The story is so complete it could be a movie script! And, incredibly, it perfectly recreated the essence of 20th-century gothic horror films within a tokusatsu series!"
"That scene where the curtains are drawn back to embrace the sunlight is absolutely the most beautiful scene in this year's domestic dramas! And the final design where the reporter uses a gun as a camera is simply a stroke of genius! This isn't just about fighting monsters; it's a hymn to the spirit of journalists, a poem about love and redemption!"
On Bilibili, a mashup video about "Ye Tian and Xue Na" instantly topped the charts.
Countless female fans cried their eyes out in the comments section:
Is this what adult love is like? It's so painful!
She chose to embrace the sunshine so as not to hurt her loved one!
As the saying goes, the best ending is no ending at all. Director Gu, you understand this perfectly!
Director Gu, how many tears do you owe us? We're sending you razor blades! We absolutely have to send you razor blades!
Although this episode may not have been as outstanding in the original work.
However, thanks to Gu Nan's subtle adjustments to the content and his control over the pacing of the plot, even a slightly clichéd story can still captivate countless viewers.
The reason why Ultraman Tiga became a masterpiece is because of its inclusiveness. It is not just about Ultraman fighting monsters; it is a collection of episodic stories about humanity, love, and courage.
There's science fiction, horror, comedy, and tragedies like today's, full of regret yet incredibly moving.