Fanfics Hub
patreon
273 HxH: Tombbound Power
🕑 Added 2024-12-20 06:01:02 +0000 UTCNo one knows whether they died of starvation or suffocation from the inability to excrete.
After the two were imprisoned, it seemed as if their facial expressions were frozen in time. Overlord couldn't discern their condition.
He had been preoccupied with observing the weakening seal on his prison and failed to notice the subtle changes in their bodies. He hadn't anticipated this result.
The sinister force surrounding the gap had grown weaker under the passage of time, yet it still resisted Overlord's attempts to break through.
Frustrated, he turned his attention to the violin he'd salvaged. With it, he unearthed a rudimentary sheet of music and began to study the basics of music theory. Desperation drove him to learn; perhaps this cursed melody would be his key to escape.
Even though he suspected the music carried a terrible price—one that had already destroyed the previous performers—Overlord had grown so desperate for freedom that he was willing to risk it.
His loneliness pushed him to master the first section of the ominous score within mere months, relying on his limited grasp of human language and sheer determination.
The moment he finished, Overlord couldn't wait any longer. He prepared himself for the backlash he believed was inevitable and began to play.
But what happened next stunned him.
As his bow danced across the violin strings, the black aura conjured by the performance didn't attack the object he'd intended. Instead, the sinister energy swirled toward him, coiling like water snakes.
Even more bizarre, the energy spread toward the undead Bone Demons scattered throughout the space.
"Is this because of the curse we received on the Dark Continent?" Overlord mused, watching the phenomenon unfold.
He soon realized that while the black aura lingered around him, it dissipated quickly when it approached the others.
He could only attribute this to his role as the performer—and perhaps his superior intelligence.
Though he couldn't grasp the full mechanics of this strange power, Overlord discovered that the black aura surrounding him could be used without cost or backlash.
Fueled by this revelation, he directed the energy at the weakened seal, hoping to finally break free.
But reality crushed his hopes once more.
The prison seemed to actively resist him. No matter how much power he poured into the effort, the space remained unyielding.
The seal had weakened, yes, but not enough to grant him freedom.
Still, there was a small glimmer of hope. Overlord discovered that the black aura could extend slightly beyond the gap, granting him limited influence outside his confinement.
This newfound ability spurred him to experiment further.
As he tested the mysterious power of the sheet music, he uncovered its core ability: strengthening and weakening.
The score could amplify or diminish nearly anything—physical attributes like strength, speed, and reaction time, as well as the properties of objects like knives and swords.
The effect wasn't limited to himself, he could apply it to others as well.
For example, within the narrow pathway near the gap, Overlord amplified the delayed passage of time to its maximum extent. Conversely, he could reduce the delay to almost nothing.
The only limitation was his store of black aura.
The risks, however, remained unknown. Overlord hadn't experienced any backlash himself, but he had seen the fate of the two human performers.
E!
That was the price they paid.
When the humans finished playing the melody, black aura shackled their bodies like chains, robbing them of all freedom.
Overlord deduced that the duration of imprisonment was proportional to the performer's strength and the extent of the strengthening or weakening applied.
Stronger performers would face shorter imprisonment, as their capabilities reduced the strain of the music's effects. Weaker performers would suffer far longer.
Having grasped the basics of the score's abilities and limitations, Overlord set his sights on mastering the remaining sections.
If just the first section had given him this much power, surely the full melody would grant him the strength to break free.
Hope surged within him.
But before he could resume his studies, one of his Bone Demon subordinates delivered urgent news:
Two powerful humans had entered the space.
Ordinarily, Overlord wouldn't have been concerned. He had encountered countless strong humans over the decades.
But this time was different.
One of the humans carried an unmistakable scent—the same dark energy as the king.
Overlord's elation was immediate.
"Is this finally it? After all these years of imprisonment, is freedom within my grasp?"
Suppressing his excitement, Overlord halted his studies and began stockpiling black aura in preparation for their arrival.
He was confident that his strength could overpower the two intruders. More importantly, he needed answers.
Could the human possess another dark melody?
If so, this might be his chance to escape the endless torment of this prison.
Overlord smiled grimly, summoning every Bone Demon within the space to prepare for the inevitable confrontation.
