Chapter 273: Illusion Projection
(3rd Person POV)
Yoda continued assisting Arthur with the Star Wars project, proving to be an invaluable asset not only in scriptwriting and world-building but also in the VFX department. His attention to detail helped refine the backdrops and settings of the galaxy they were bringing to life in the VFX studio.
More than that, Yoda had begun using Force projection to create stunningly realistic illusions, a feat that caught the illusion team completely off guard.
Eli, the demoness leading the team, stood in shock as she watched an illusionary projection of Yoda appear before her.
It wasn't just an illusion—it was nearly indistinguishable from reality. The projected image of Yoda moved fluidly, every wrinkle and detail perfectly replicated, as if it were another living being standing beside them.
Eli turned to Yoda, her expression full of astonishment.
"I didn't expect you to be a master of illusions too!" she exclaimed. "This isn't just advanced magic—it's on a whole different level. Even we, experts in illusion theory, can't create something this lifelike!"
Yoda remained silent, his illusionary self shifting into a combat stance before demonstrating a series of intricate movements, mesmerizing the onlookers even further.
Arthur watched the scene with a satisfied smile, his arms crossed as he observed the stunned reactions around him.
Beside him, Firfel was just as astonished.
She had been curious about why Arthur respected Yoda so much, but now she was starting to understand.
Not only was the little being highly intelligent, helping with scriptwriting and world-building, but he also had an unmatched mastery over illusion techniques.
Unable to hold back her thoughts, she muttered, "With illusions like that, you wouldn't even need to cast real dragons. Just have Mr. Yoda project them, and they'd look just as real."
Arthur nodded. "That's actually been a huge problem in movie production. Illusion experts can replicate landscapes and effects, but they can't create convincing living creatures. Master Yoda just solved that issue effortlessly."
Firfel nodded, still watching Yoda carefully.
Yet, as she observed him, she felt something strange.
Her amulet, resting against her chest, gave off a faint reaction to his presence, as if responding to an unknown energy.
But that wasn't what unsettled her the most.
As someone highly sensitive to mana, she could always feel the magic around her—whether it was weak or strong.
Yet when Yoda used his illusions, she felt nothing at all.
No surge of mana, no faint wave of magical energy, nothing that indicated he was drawing from any magic source at all.
That wasn't normal.
She turned to Arthur, who was silently watching Yoda work. He must have sensed her gaze because he glanced at her, raising an eyebrow.
"Hm? What?"
If this had been before, Arthur might have flushed at her attention, but now he was used to it. Their relationship had deepened, and he knew that with just a little more effort, he would finally be able to call Firfel his.
Firfel hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. "Nothing…"
Arthur narrowed his eyes slightly, unconvinced. "Come on, just say it."
She sighed before finally voicing her thoughts.
"I just find Mr. Yoda strange."
Arthur tilted his head. "Strange how?"
She bit her lip, then carefully explained, "We can all see that Mr. Yoda is using magic to create his high-level illusion projections, right? Without magic, there's no way he could power illusion spells at that scale… and yet…"
She glanced back at Yoda.
"I felt no magic from him. Not even the faintest trace of mana when he released those projections. It's like… whatever he's doing isn't magic at all."
Arthur went silent.
He had been expecting someone to notice eventually.
It was obvious to him—Yoda wasn't using magic at all.
He was using the Force.
Even with Arthur's demi-god level power, he could not sense the Force in Yoda.
But what he could feel was the strange energy ripple in the surrounding mana whenever Yoda used his abilities.
He couldn't just tell Firfel that it was because of the Force—doing so would reveal Yoda's true origins, which was far from ideal.
So instead, he shrugged and said, "Maybe Master Yoda isn't just an expert in illusion magic, but also an expert in hiding his magic?"
Firfel didn't look convinced.
She was half sure that Yoda was using something else entirely—something unknown.
Her amulet's reaction only confirmed that suspicion.
But what kind of energy was it?
Besides magical mana, no other known organic energy could be harnessed by intelligent beings.
Unless, of course, it was something she had yet to discover.
Arthur noticed her silence and decided not to press the topic further.
'I need to remind Yoda to mask his abilities with magic… otherwise, people will start suspecting he's using something else.'
Wanting to steer the conversation elsewhere, Arthur casually suggested, "Anyway, the day's about to end. How about some coffee at my new café?"
Firfel, still deep in thought, glanced at him and gave a small nod. "Sure…"
Arthur smiled, and she returned the gesture as they headed toward Hellfire Café, which had officially opened to the public two weeks ago in the city.
As they walked, Firfel's mind was racing.
She knew Arthur was hiding something.
She had known him long enough to recognize his habits.
Whenever there was something he didn't want her to figure out, he would offer tea or coffee—as if distracting her with something pleasant.
That alone confirmed it.
Yoda wasn't as simple as he seemed.
If he were just some advisor for Arthur's film, why would Arthur call him "Master Yoda" with such respect?
Arthur rarely used titles of reverence, yet he addressed Yoda as if he were more than just a film consultant.
And then there was the illusion projection—so lifelike that even the best illusion experts had been unable to achieve such realism for years.
Her curiosity deepened.
'What kind of energy is he using…?'
Absentmindedly, she ran her fingers over the amulet on her chest.
It was ancient, filled with mysteries she and Arthur had yet to uncover, even after purchasing it together years ago.
It rarely reacted to anything. The last time the amulet had shown any response was during the production of Demonfather Part 2, and back then, it had reacted around Arthur.
From what she remembered, the reaction had been triggered by his ring, but beyond that, the amulet had simply felt active during that time.
And now, for the first time in years, it had reacted again.
Not to Arthur.
But to Yoda's energy.
That alone told her more than enough.
Whatever power Yoda was using… it was unlike anything she had ever encountered.