The art gallery was enveloped in a prolonged silence.
Huai Shi was stunned in place by the profound heritage of the All Hells United Music Association.
Bach, after all, is the forefather of all classical music theory— even if not the founder, he's an essential rule-setter, comparable to Newton in the field of physics. If musical theory had a Creator, he would undoubtedly be the one.
There aren't many above him in terms of status.
And yet, the association nonchalantly tossed an original manuscript from Bach—for all intents and purposes, a creation born of his lifeblood. With Huai Shi's current legendary cello performance skills, even he could grow from studying this manuscript, which speaks volumes about its value...
No wonder the association gained the recognition of so many Disastrous Musicians. To those who are passionate about artistic performance, the association is nothing short of a treasure trove!
Huai Shi pondered for a long time, breaking out in a cold sweat, "Uh, may I ask, does the association possibly have... "
"No, Mr. Bach was not a Sublimator. Although his abilities were no lesser than any Creator, his artistic achievements ultimately did not receive recognition at the time,"
the skeleton said regretfully, "It is said that he turned down the association's invitation before he died, and his consciousness did not sink into the Sea of Silver, but was instead taken away by some unknown entity, granting him eternal rest undisturbed by anyone."
Huai Shi fell silent for quite some time, suddenly feeling a twinge of regret and relief.
Indeed, if a creator like Bach could prolong his life, who knows what miracles he might craft? But since such a person chose to face death, he surely deserved eternal peace.
Looking at it now, the association had probably anticipated Huai Shi's visit all along; otherwise, why send him a piece that is most suitable for a cello adaptation?
It was a clear hint: See, brother, music in Hell has such prospects, with comprehensive benefits and year-end bonuses—young talents like you not descending into Hell would truly be a pity!
Fine then.
Sensing the association's heartfelt enthusiasm, Huai Shi could not help but twitch a smile.
You all really have your eye on me, don't you?
Am I, the Secretary of the Book of Fate, the Second fifth of the Heavenly Kingdom Genealogy, supposed to fear this?
Mere sugar-coated bullets meant to corrode my spirit—you shoot them at me, I'll swallow the bullets and spit out the coating...
""Aria", huh?"
After carefully inspecting it for a while, Huai Shi exhaled deeply, "Good, lend me a cello, when do we start?"
"We can start at any time."
The skeleton bowed gratefully, the ghostly flames flickering. In an instant, the scene before Huai Shi's eyes shifted, and he found himself in a vast warehouse. A dust-proof case opened before him, revealing an ancient cello nestled in sponge.
Despite the passage of time, it was immaculately maintained, not the slightest damage to be seen, and it even glistened faintly with the crystalline sheen that comes with age.
Touching the cool body of the cello made him feel as though he was caressing a piece of cold crystal, and a light tap would set off ancient echoes.
The strings had been removed and carefully preserved on the side, free of rust and with elasticity untouched, made of an exceptional material, with the art of twisting and preserving being flawless.
Upon holding the instrument, Huai Shi could feel the Source Substance flowing seamlessly within it, indistinguishable from his own body, every subtle shift keenly felt.
Feeling the nearly crystallized essence of the Abyss within it, Huai Shi involuntarily gasped.
It could certainly be considered a Border Relic, right?
"Fine instrument,"
complimented Huai Shi softly, his expectations for the master craftsman's work growing—if only he could also elevate his own cello to that of a Border Relic, even at the cost of more Source Crystals, it wouldn't be a loss.
After all, current top master-level instruments are worth more than three to four million.
After stringing the cello and tuning it briefly, Huai Shi tried playing a practice piece, and to his surprise, despite not practicing for a long time, his skills were miraculously smooth.
Thanks to the relationship between the Sword Art: Ornament Play and cello performance, if he didn't have an hour to practice cello every day, spending an hour sword-fighting produced almost the same effect.
How delightful that was!
With his initial vacillation dispelled, Huai Shi lifted the cello, raised his head to the skeleton before him, "Let's begin."
The skeleton nodded excitedly, donning an even more solemn dress suit, and bowed deeply to Huai Shi in sincere gratitude. In a flash, the light and shadows shifted around him.
Amidst the darkness, a spotlight shone down upon Huai Shi's shoulders, illuminating his hands and the bow in his grip.
He was now on a grand stage, and below it, the ancient skeleton sat alone within the empty auditorium, quietly awaiting.
It was Huai Shi's first formal performance, and yet the venue was in Hell?
Huai Shi chuckled softly, feeling as though something was amiss.
But still, a stage is a stage, the audience is present, and the cello is in hand. Surely, that was all correct, wasn't it?
So then, let's begin.
The first performance as a Disastrous Musician.
Beneath the light, Huai Shi took a deep breath, lowered his gaze to the sheet music on the stand before him.
As the bow descended from his hand, like weaving notes, and with each careful movement, the first gentle strains of music rose from the strings like mist, drifting and spreading outward, carrying a melancholy imbued with joy into the air.
In the audience, the Old Skeleton instinctively sat up straight, leaning forward.
The ghostly flames within his eye sockets trembled with excitement, yearning to draw closer, to reach out greedily and bask in this merciful downpour.
The cello solo that emerged from Bach's Orchestral Suites and now interpreted by Huai Shi in an impromptu rendition of the "Song of the G string", thus began!
The cello hummed deeply, from the hands of Huai Shi.
The melodious and gentle tune slowly emerged, spreading through the air, not aggressive, not fierce, but tranquilly like a spring, lightly covering everything, smoothing out restlessness and anxiety, bringing all souls to a state of peace.