what if I'm an undead! then so what?-Chapter 33: The chaos within

"Impossible!" Mr. Isagi exclaimed as, even after absorbing the energy, it still continued to act violently in his hands. One of the abilities of the God Hand allowed him to consume energy at subatomic levels, rendering it to nothingness or even using it to either strengthen himself or return an attack. But what he was feeling now was pure madness. Even after absorbing it, the energy continued to run violently inside him.

"This energy? Is this Chaos?" Mr. Isagi asked, his face filled with worry and fear. However, he immediately dispelled the energy, his form blurring and appearing several meters above his house. Stretching his hands upward, he concentrated the blast to make it as small as possible before releasing it upward. The repulsion from the attack sent him crashing through his own roof with enough force to break through it.

"It’s always one surprise after another with this boy. Who knows? Perhaps in the future, he might be able to control it, but for now, it might be too risky. If he’s going to learn Aether, I’m going to have to seal his core partially," Mr. Isagi thought to himself as he stood up, dusting off his body.

Meanwhile, a few seconds later, Masaru woke up, oblivious to the situation, but was surprised to see the damage around him. The furniture and even the floors were in complete ruin. "Did I pass out again? What happened during that time?" he asked himself in confusion. Even Mr. Isagi had an obvious look of exhaustion.

"No need to worry, kid, everything’s fine. And the good part is you can use Aether. So, in the meantime, I’ll educate you on the basics of energy before we delve into practicals. But I’ll need to seal your fire partially for it to work!" Mr. Isagi said as he walked toward Masaru, his human hands shining with a blue light that formed an intricate pattern. With a gentle touch, Masaru felt all his power seep away from his body. It was as if he’d gone from being a high-ranking warrior to a low-ranking vampire. There was also the fact that he didn’t have access to blood energy, which was quite uncomfortable. But if it was to grow stronger, then this was nothing.

"Now, let’s start with blood energy. Research shows... or rather, according to vampire experiments, we’ve come to know that blood energy is similar to all other forms of Mana, with the difference being that it requires a vampire core to manipulate. It can be created in different forms—liquid, air, solid, or even natural energy. Now, for Aether, it’s purely energy. It can’t be formed into solid or liquid, but it can be manipulated to feel like any of those forms. For example, a simple layer of Aether energy around me can be hardened to form a barrier!" Mr. Isagi explained as a blue energy layer formed around him. He gestured for Masaru to punch him.

Masaru had never really tried punching outside of sparring with Akane. He didn’t know the full force of his punch, but right now, weakened, he knew he could punch through a wall with little to no difficulty.

Walking toward Mr. Isagi, Masaru took a deep breath, clenched his fist tightly, and with all his might, landed a full-powered punch toward Mr. Isagi. His fist collided with the energy, stopping only a few inches away from Mr. Isagi, who remained unfazed, not even flinching. Masaru retracted his hand, feeling the broken bones in his fingers, which later healed in mere seconds.

"Damn, it’s hard!" Masaru stated as the barrier remained intact, even after tanking a punch that should have at least bent steel.

"Kogoi—The Light-Binding Armor. The most fundamental application of Aether manipulation in terms of defense, Kogoi is a defensive technique born from condensing immense amounts of Aether particles into an ultra-thin, uniform layer around the user’s body. Unlike conventional barriers that fracture upon impact, Kogoi behaves like a pressure-dispersing sphere—a translucent armor of energy that redistributes force evenly across its surface.

Due to the fluid, responsive nature of Aether, the barrier does not crack, shatter, or dent. It either endures the force in full or detonates in a controlled explosion when overwhelmed, punishing attackers in close range with the rebound of released energy.

Simple in form, but devastating in effect, Kogoi is the difference between survival and obliteration.

Now, Aether energy is not like your regular blood energy, or even magic or chakra, in the sense that it cannot be used to perform things that can’t be explained even by fictional science. For example, teleportation or changing the weather is not possible. It has three uses: physical enhancement, Aether techniques, and energy alteration," Mr. Isagi explained before taking a break to let it sink into Masaru before continuing.

"Now, the advantage that Aether has over blood energy is the fact that its regeneration rate is extremely high, to the point that one can hardly ever run out of it. Well, except if you’re constantly spamming Rank 4 techniques and above, then you’re on your own. However, too much usage can cause fatigue and strain on the body. Now, any questions?" he asked, looking at Masaru, who seemed to be taking it seriously, which was good for both of them.

"The only question I have is how many ranks there are and what rank of Aether techniques do you think I can manage currently?" Masaru asked, wanting to know his current strength in the human aspect as well.

"You see, there are seven ranks of Aether techniques, each differing by a wide margin. As for what rank you can use, I can’t tell. Now, what I can tell you is that currently, your full strength should be between Rank 2 to 3 of the organization I used to work for. So, you should be proud that in less than a year, your strength rivals Rank 3 hunters. Now that that’s settled, I’ll give you a manual on controlling Aether. You’ll only be able to leave after gaining some level of mastery, since I’ll be sealing the room with Aether. To escape, you must be able to use Aether proficiently!" Mr. Isagi said, tossing a book toward Masaru. Contrary to what one might expect from an ancient text on how to control Aether, it was more like a handwritten diary with many cancellations.

"Don’t blame me; stuff like that isn’t sold to the public. It was written by me. I also included some Rank 1 to 3 Aether techniques for you to learn. Your time limit is one week, and if you can’t escape by then, this room is going to explode with Souenbaku-level force, turning your immortal body into a burnt crisp." Mr. Isagi said with a wicked grin before closing the door behind him, which glowed with a bright hue.

"Did I make a wrong choice by coming here?" Masaru thought to himself. This was too intense for him. Looking at the book, he first looked at the techniques. There were 3 Rank 1, 3 Rank 2, and 1 Rank 3 techniques, making a total of seven. Their names also sounded nice.

From what the book told him about Aether, he learned that:

[Aether can be altered, shaped, and hardened, But it cannot be used to create true, independent physical matter like wood, metal, ice, or other elemental constructs.

So something like a "shadow palm" (Aether-based attack shaped like a palm or strike) is valid, But something like forming a sword of fire or ice, or summoning a beast, is not.

That means Aether Techniques can:

Alter energy behavior (vibration, pressure, heat, density)

Mimic physical forms for attack or defense (e.g., palm strikes, waves, fields)

Enhance the body (speed, power, endurance)

Interact with other energies (disrupting, absorbing, repelling, sealing)

But they cannot:

Create or summon physical matter from nothing

Forge stable, elemental constructs like walls of earth, weapons of fire, or clones made of energy.]

And as for the list of techniques, the Rank 1 to 3 are as follows:

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Rank 1 – Basic Techniques (Beginner Level)

1. Eishōken (影掌拳) – "Shadow Palm Fist"

Type: Offensive

Effect: Condenses Aether into the palm, forming a semi-transparent, glowing imprint. When released in a strike, it delivers a concussive force equivalent to a battering ram, capable of launching enemies back.

Use: Good for training hand-to-hand fighters in Aether channeling.

Special Trait: Can be layered with additional elements at higher ranks.

2. Kanjiki (感磁気) – "Magnetic Sensing"

Type: Sensory

Effect: The caster extends Aether particles like invisible tendrils around them, "feeling" energy signatures, movement, and even ambient emotion within a 15-meter radius.

Use: Essential for tracking, detecting ambushes, or sensing hidden foes.

Special Trait: Sensitive to fluctuations in Aether flow, making it great against illusionists or stealth-types.

3. Kogoi (護籠) – "The Light-Binding Armor"

Type: Defensive

Effect: Forms a translucent armor of condensed Aether around the user’s body, which behaves like a pressure-dispersing sphere. It doesn’t fracture upon impact but redistributes force evenly across its surface.

Use: Beginner’s defense against both physical and magical attacks.

Special Trait: When overwhelmed, the armor detonates in a controlled explosion, knocking back attackers in close range. The fluid nature of Aether ensures it does not crack or shatter, offering continuous protection.

Rank 2

4. Hakyūdan (波急弾) – "Sudden Wave Burst"

Type: Offensive / Burst

Effect: The caster channels Aether into a sphere and compresses it until it vibrates violently. When released, it shoots forward as a high-speed pulse that explodes on contact, damaging enemies in a short-radius shockwave.

Use: Mid-range blast attack.

Special Trait: The more compressed it is, the faster and harder it hits—but overcharging may backfire.

5. Nekketsu (熱血) – "Overheat Drive"

Type: Physical Boost

Effect: Temporarily accelerates blood flow and muscle fiber response, granting a burst of strength and speed, but also raising internal temperature.

Use: Last-resort power surge.

Backlash: Causes overheating, dizziness, or muscle tearing if abused.

6. Kōkōka (硬硬化) – "Reinforced Hardening"

Type: Physical Enhancement

Effect: Condenses Aether into muscle fibers to drastically increase physical resistance and durability for 5–10 seconds.

Use: Ideal for tanking hits or surviving otherwise lethal impacts.

Backlash: Causes deep fatigue and slight nerve strain after prolonged use.

Rank 3 – Advanced Techniques

7. Tenshō Sōmetsu (天昇壌滅) – "Heaven-Piercing Annihilation"

Type: Offensive / Destruction

Effect: The user channels an immense amount of Aether into a concentrated point above their head, forming a swirling vortex of destructive energy. With a single motion, they thrust their hand forward, releasing a beam of Aether so powerful that it tears through the very fabric of the heavens. The beam annihilates everything in its path, eradicating matter, energy, and even the flow of Aether itself, leaving nothing but a void where it once passed.

Use: Ideal for overwhelming opponents or destroying massive barriers and defensive formations.

Special Trait: The technique can be focused into a single, concentrated line, amplifying its destructive radius and power exponentially. However, the more focused it becomes, the more draining it is on the user’s Aether reserves.