Ultimately, one method could directly convert and utilize energy, whereas the Beholder Engine merely stored Ether energy, and when needed, converted that Ether energy through sound waves before releasing it for use. One was conversion by an organ itself, while the Beholder Engine was, when it came down to it, just a player. And any functions beyond being a player were all designed around how to utilize the energy after it was converted.
This unique method immediately made Andrew think of an equally unique weapon among Hunters, and that was—the Hunting Horn. It also converted music into energy to provide buffs and strength to others.
But... speaking of music... could it be just any music? The music compatible with the various Beholder Engines was, you could say, not picky at all, but different types of music would also produce different tendencies in the effects.
And speaking of music, the first thing Andrew thought of was, of course, a song he could never forget. The song a Hunter would never forget—Proof of a Hero.
However, although the melody was constantly playing in his mind, Andrew couldn't even begin to try. It wasn't for some strange reason, but for the most basic one—Andrew didn't know how to play any instruments. Let alone recreating such a complex symphony. There couldn't be a more realistic reason, one that stopped Andrew before he could even make an attempt.
If he couldn't create complex music, then making something simple would have to do. Speaking of simple music, it had to be the jingle from the Astera base, the little tune the Palicoes would play for the Meowscular Chef whenever he was cooking a Canteen meal. Coincidentally, Belle knew how to play the guitar.
The simple guitar sound provided a foundation for reconstruction, and a melody composed for a single instrument meant that even Andrew, who was completely musically illiterate, could attempt to replicate it by humming for Belle to try and copy.
At Andrew's invitation, a thrilled Belle grabbed her guitar and ran to Andrew's room.
"Andrew! Are you trying to bring the music from your old world over here?!"
Andrew nodded and said, "I do want to experiment with the Beholder Engine, but if I can bring that music over, that would be even better."
"Alright!"
Although Belle's guitar skills were... amateurish at best, they were both full of confidence, at least at the beginning.
With Belle's first strum of the strings, the two immediately began to coordinate.
Having heard the cheerful music every day, Andrew's memory of it was crystal clear. As Andrew hummed along, at least the rhythm sounded right.
Then came the process of trying to find each note, one by one. After a long time spent making adjustments, it finally sounded very close to the original. As for whether the tone and notes were still off, or if the pitch was too high or too low, they had no idea. At least Andrew himself couldn't tell the difference.
Finally, with Belle's help, that short piece of music was gradually pieced together.
Although the song wasn't long, it still took Belle and Andrew over an hour of grinding. During that time, Andrew felt like all his brain cells were about to die because of this one short tune. Even though it had stopped, the constantly repeating music seemed to still be circling in his ears. The once-cheerful ditty was now starting to make Andrew feel like he was going to be sick of it.
Slumped in her chair after they finished, Belle sincerely complained, "I'm totally burned out... Is recreating a melody really this hard?"
Andrew, who was also collapsed to one side, thought for a moment before nodding in agreement.
"It is. Looks like next time, I'll have to ask someone with serious musical talent who knows a lot of instruments."
In any case, the first piece of music was thus painstakingly recreated by Andrew in New Eridu.
Now that it was successfully recreated, all that was left was to record it. However, recording it was actually the easy part. After all, New Eridu was a semi-futuristic city; how could something like a recorder not exist?
The reason Beholder Engines still commonly used vinyl records was purely because inside the Hollows, the more precise and intelligent a device was, the more susceptible it was to corruption. For something like a weapon, simpler was better; pursuing ruggedness and durability was more appropriate. After all, no one wanted something their life depended on to malfunction at a critical moment.
It wasn't that there weren't Beholder Engines that used electronic devices for direct playback, but those were basically toys for the rich. This type of playback device was much smaller than others, and not only was it made of special materials, it also needed to be replaced entirely after a certain period of time. After all, as long as you were inside a Hollow, corruption was inevitable; it was just a matter of how long it took. With all these factors piled up, it was a luxury that ordinary people wouldn't even consider.
Therefore, Andrew also opted for a Beholder Engine with a simpler structure, one that used vinyl records. Following Wise's introduction, he went to the record store next door to find Elfy to cut the record.
The uniquely dressed shop owner was standing with an elegant posture amidst the shelves lined with countless records. On her dark face, blue eyes emitted a faint glow, while her golden eyelashes and blue lips radiated an incredibly unique charm. And beside a giant gramophone was a meticulously arranged genuine leather sofa, so soft that one couldn't help but relax the moment they sat down.
At that moment in the record store, the only sound was the music from the record playing on the gramophone. But unlike other record stores that would only play musicals or classical music, when Andrew walked in, what Elfy was playing was a record called Thunderstorm Heavy Metal. The sharp and unrestrained tone might make an observer feel that this song was somewhat out of place in Elfy's record store, but Elfy simply sat quietly on the sofa, listening silently until the music ended.
After the song finished, a still-calm Elfy opened her eyes and noticed Andrew, who had already pushed the door open and entered.
Her golden eyelashes fluttered, and Elfy's voice carried a gentleness that couldn't be dispelled.
"Hello, shop owner from next door, and friend of Wise."
She stood up and asked softly, "Is there anything I can help you with?"
The cheerful music echoed through the record store. Although it was quite short, it was more than enough to convey the emotion contained within.
As the music was being etched onto the record by the gramophone, Elfy tilted her head slightly to look at Andrew, a trace of admiration in her beautiful eyes.
"Although the rhythm is simple, this piece is full of passion and energy. I never expected that you, the shop owner, had also studied music. It's truly impressive."
As she spoke, a hint of embarrassment appeared on Elfy's face.
"I had always thought that you had no particular interest in music."
If he didn't clear this up, wouldn't it be a huge misunderstanding later when he had 'Proof of a Hero' made?
Andrew, who had basically just copied it, and not even perfectly at that, suddenly felt cornered and quickly waved his hands, saying, "No, no, no, your first impression was spot on. I really don't know anything about music."
Most importantly, he was completely clueless about music theory and all that. If he accepted the praise, how awkward would it be when someone asked him about his creative process.
____
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