what if I'm an undead! then so what?-Chapter 32: Need for Strength 2: evolution what energy is this?

Chapter 32: Need for Strength 2: evolution what energy is this?

"Hah!" Masaru jerked up, sitting bolt upright on the bed, sweat clinging to his skin as his chest heaved. He frantically looked around and quickly recognized his room.

"What the fuck..." he gasped, staring wide-eyed at his right hand, which was still intact. The last thing he remembered was that creature... that monster... and then darkness. He was sure he had died. And yet, here he was—alive, whole, and somehow... stronger?

"Turned out it was a dream? What a terrible nightmare..." he muttered, swinging his right arm around, flexing his fingers and rotating his wrist. It didn’t feel like a dream. But the pain was gone, his hand was still attached, and his body felt unusually light—almost as if it had been upgraded.

Then, without warning, a sharp pain erupted in his forehead. Masaru clutched at his head, staggering slightly as an overwhelming flood of memories that were not his own surged into his mind.

In the visions, a small girl sobbed over the body of an older woman. Judging by their resemblance, the woman was most likely her mother. The child’s hands were stained with blood as her cries grew louder and more frantic. A door creaked open behind her, revealing a man—probably her father—and a young boy, her brother. They stood there, frozen, their expressions unreadable. Though their faces remained calm, tears silently fell from their eyes, betraying their pain.

"Is this... Akane’s memory?" Masaru muttered, his breathing slowing as he replayed the image of the girl. The resemblance was uncanny. It had to be her.

Acting on instinct, he bolted out of his room, sprinting through the corridor until he reached Akane’s door. He threw it open and rushed inside.

Akane lay unconscious on the bed, her face pale and serene. Hinata stood to the right of her, arms folded, face unreadable. Eve stood at the left, concern etched deep into her features.

"What happened?!" Masaru asked, moving quickly to Akane’s side.

"We found both of you collapsed on the floor—covered in blood. You were both unconscious, but only you woke up. Miss Akane hasn’t stirred since," Eve explained, her voice calm but clearly laced with concern.

Masaru’s heart sank. It wasn’t a dream. The blood... the monster... it had been real. Akane must’ve fought it and—somehow—saved him. Maybe she even healed him.

Did she lose the fight? Was she gravely injured? He looked at her peaceful expression, hoping for any signs of recovery. But something felt... off.

His eyes slid toward Hinata. Unlike Eve, she didn’t look worried. She looked furious. Her eyes smoldered with a quiet rage that seemed completely out of place.

"Hinata... what happened to Akane?" Masaru asked, lowering his voice, his concern tightening his chest.

But Hinata said nothing. She didn’t even acknowledge the question. She simply stared at Akane, her lips pressed into a thin line. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Masaru felt a twinge of frustration but didn’t press. Something told him he wouldn’t get any answers from her, not now. He needed to be stronger—he’d learned that the hard way. Perhaps Mr. Isagi could help.

As he turned to leave the room, a sharp tingling sensation flared in his core. He paused, startled, and focused inward. What he discovered made his eyes widen in disbelief.

His core... it was no longer the size of a marble. It had grown—immensely. It now matched the size of a tennis ball, tripling its original form.

"Did I evolve...? How?" he murmured to himself, examining his internal energy.

His blood energy reserves had skyrocketed—easily ten times greater than before. He felt more powerful, physically enhanced, sharper, faster. Stronger. He was almost ten times stronger than before—and yet he had no idea how or why.

Akane. She was the only one who might have answers. But until she woke up, he had to act.

More fragments of foreign memories flooded into his head, but he pushed them aside. Now wasn’t the time. It was daylight. He couldn’t afford to run at full speed without attracting attention. But then again, with his current speed, he doubted anyone would even see him.

He stepped outside the mansion.

With a grin, he bolted forward. The wind pressure against his body felt like a roaring storm. And yet, it was oddly pleasant—thrilling, even. He knew that if his body had still been human, the force of it would’ve reduced him to pulp. But now, it was exhilarating.

In less than five seconds, he arrived at the restaurant. No exhaustion. No effort. He glanced around—no one seemed to notice. Lucky.

But the restaurant was closed. Tightly shut.

"Could he be at home?" Masaru wondered aloud, deciding to check Mr. Isagi’s house just a few blocks away.

Suddenly, he froze. An overwhelming pressure slammed down on him like a mountain. A few days ago, it would’ve crushed him to his knees. Now, he barely managed to stay standing—but it still took everything he had to remain upright.

He turned around, scanning for the source. His eyes landed on a girl—walking toward him with a wicked smile. Pink hair. Pink eyes.

Masaru frowned. "Since when did pink hair and eyes become normal?" he muttered to himself. The girl looked familiar—far too familiar. But he didn’t want to hope.

Was it... Sakura?

No. It couldn’t be. He refused to let himself believe it. Not yet. Besides, she was far too powerful to be a normal human. Her aura felt ancient—like that of Mr. Isagi or even Mr Mugen.

Still... even with her terrifying presence, Masaru didn’t feel afraid. It was broad daylight. She wouldn’t try anything stupid. Right?

He opened his mouth to speak—only to be interrupted by a voice.

"Masaru!"

The pressure vanished in an instant. He turned around and saw him—Mr. Isagi.

But something was... off. The pink-haired girl had vanished. Not a trace of her remained.

Masaru pushed the thought aside and approached Mr. Isagi, though the closer he got, the more distant the man felt.

He studied him carefully. Something had changed. Mr. Isagi’s aura was different—refined, smoother. Even his grumpy face looked less weathered.

"You look... ten years younger," Masaru said, stunned.

"It’s a long story," Mr. Isagi replied with a faint grin. "I see you’ve gotten stronger. What brings you here?"

Masaru’s expression darkened, filled with purpose. "I want you to train me. I need to get stronger."

Mr. Isagi raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Vampires evolve their bloodlines naturally. And with the Mikazukis, they could turn you into a high-ranking vampire in s matter of months. You could be stronger in a month than most get in years."

"I know that," Masaru replied. "But raw power isn’t enough. I need experience, skills, technique. Power beyond that of an undead."

Mr. Isagi smiled. "Honestly, kid, even if you hadn’t come to me, I would’ve come to you. I made a promise to help you grow stronger."

Without warning, he stepped behind Masaru and, with a swift chop to the neck, knocked him out cold.

"Huh—?"

Masaru awoke groggily in an unfamiliar room, his head pounding. The last thing he remembered was talking to Mr. Isagi. Now, he was in darkness.

"You’re awake. Took you long enough," Mr. Isagi’s voice came from the shadows.

Masaru sat up, wincing. The room would’ve been pitch-black for any normal human, but his eyes—now vampiric—could see every detail. Even the subtle smirk on Mr. Isagi’s face.

"There’s something I want to test. Something I’m curious about," Mr. Isagi said, stepping forward. A grin stretched across his face—one that sent chills down Masaru’s spine.

Masaru braced himself. "And that is?"

"It’s simple," he began. "You see, Aether—the energy of life—requires the human heart to be used properly. It’s what generates and conducts Aether. Just like blood relies on the heart, so does Aether. In theory, vampires shouldn’t be able to use it... except in extremely rare cases."

He placed a hand on Masaru’s chest. A faint tingle spread through Masaru’s body. It felt strange—like something deep inside him was reacting.

"There have been hybrids—half-bloods—that could use Aether. But they’re one in a million. Most don’t even survive childbirth. But you... you’re not a hybrid. Yet, your heart is still perfectly intact after becoming a vampire. If this works... it’ll be unprecedented."

Wisps of blue Aether flowed from Mr. Isagi’s hand into Masaru’s chest. At first, the energy was accepted. Masaru felt a gentle warmth, like sunlight blooming in his core.

But then it changed.

The blue light darkened—becoming violet. It was as if the Aether was being corrupted, warped by Masaru’s blood energy.

Mr. Isagi quickly withdrew his hand. He could feel the energy spiraling out of control.

The corrupted Aether flared violently, spreading through Masaru’s body like a wildfire. Everything it touched disintegrated—reduced to less than dust. Not even atoms remained.

"What kind of energy is this...?" Mr. Isagi murmured, staring at Masaru’s unconscious form.

His right hand transformed—morphing into its true form. With one touch, he absorbed the unstable energy completely into his arm. As the last of the corruption vanished, his expression darkened.

"Impossible..."