Liberation of The Slaves

Chapter 109 – Chaos Energy

Yesterday, I spent my time fine-tuning more than just my magic power and mana-aura energy consumption—I also experimented with my basic attributes.

Turns out, I could control my strength just by loosening my muscles.

For agility, all I had to do was deliberately move slower.

Dexterity was a little more nuanced—it influences things like attack speed, accuracy, and dodging. But since those are conscious actions, I can just choose to miss, swing slower, or hold back my reflexes.

As for vitality, well… that one seemed tied directly to my life force. No way to fake that.

Today, I aim to grasp the intricacies of wielding my newfound power.

Tinkle!

Hmn!

Fia and Nyx bouncing around my soul, cheering excitedly as I warmed up.

<“Thanks, you two.”>

Their energy was contagious. It was hard not to smile when they were around.

<“Aza, can you tell me more about chaos energy?”>

【Chaos and Holy energy have properties of both mana and aura. You can use it to activate magic, or you can wrap it around your body or weapon, just like aura. So—just visualize it.】

<“Huh. Sounds simple enough.”>

【It is. Also, chaos has its own special reservoir. It’s located in your head—right between your eyebrows.】

Right between the eyebrows, huh?

So in martial arts terms… aura sits in the lower dantian, mana in the middle dantian, and chaos is in the upper dantian?

<“…This world’s getting more and more like a cultivation novel.”>

I gave it a shot right away.

Focusing on the space between my eyebrows—the area Aza said the chaos energy was stored—I tried moving that energy outward.

A moment later, a faint, dark shimmer began to form around my hand.

<“This isn’t my dark or hellfire element, right? Just raw chaos energy?”>

【Yes. That’s pure, unimbued chaos energy.】

It felt… odd.

Aura radiates a warm pulse, and mana often feels like a breeze brushing against my skin.

But this?

Chaos had no temperature at all. It wasn’t warm. It wasn’t cold. It was just there—like a shadow that didn’t belong, silently clinging to me.

Even in this small amount, it carried an unsettling pressure. Not enough to scare me, but it definitely had a presence.

<“I remember mana and aura, when unimbued with elements, just carry a bit of intimidation. Is chaos the same?”>

【Yes. But its intimidating effect is much stronger than the other two. On top of that, chaos has an additional trait—it weakens enemies just by being near them. If you imbue it with dark or hellfire elements, that weakening effect becomes even more potent.】

<“What if I use light or heavenfire instead?”>

【It still keeps the weakening trait, albeit not as strong as dark-associated elements. And also, as I mentioned before, each energy—mana, aura, and chaos—has unique properties. You can adjust or even deactivate these traits using your imagination while the energy is still inside its respective reservoir.】

So I can customize it, huh.

By default, chaos energy comes with intimidation and a weakening aura—but I have the freedom to adjust those traits with my imagination.

<“Alright. Then how do I replenish chaos energy?”>

【Like aura, it passively regenerates when you rest. But there’s also a manual method. You can restore it directly by combining mana and aura.】

<“Wait—you mean I have to combine them?”>

【Yes. You can send both your mana and aura into the chaos energy reservoir. Unlike the others, it doesn’t reject external sources—it fuses them automatically. If the amounts are uneven, the leftovers just stay stored.】

<“Got it.”>

Let’s test this.

I’d used about five drops of chaos energy earlier, so this was a perfect chance to try replenishing it.

First, I sent in three drops of mana. As Aza said, the reservoir accepted it without converting anything yet.

Then I followed up with four drops of aura.

The moment the two touched, three drops of chaos energy formed instantly—one for each balanced pair. The leftover aura—just one drop—remained inside, unconverted.

Nice.

Finally, I tried sending in two drops of mana and one drop of aura at the same time.

No issue there either.

Two more drops of chaos energy formed. With that, my chaos energy pool was fully restored.

<“So basically… it takes one unit of mana and one unit of aura to make a single unit of chaos energy. That means the cost to cast a magic with chaos is double compared to using just one other energy type.”>

【Exactly. But in exchange, your magic will carry both a half more power boost and the weakening trait. It’s a trade-off—but a potent one.】

So numerically, my maximum 2600 magic power output would jump to 3900, plus the weakening effect if I use chaos energy.

<“I see. But I’m still a bit unclear—what exactly does the weakening effect do to enemies?”>

【Chaos energy induces fatigue, dulls their senses, and suppresses their overall power output. It doesn't just sap strength—it chips away at their efficiency over time.】

<“So it’s basically a passive debuff? Sounds perfect for longer fights.”>

【Exactly. It’s subtle but powerful. Especially when stacked with your other elements.】

Now fully recharged, I decided to test how chaos energy interacted with my elements.

As I willed the energy into my hand and began merging it with different elements, the changes were immediately noticeable.

The colors… shifted.

Each element retained its identity, but the chaos energy tainted them—deepened them—like ink spilled into pure dye.

My flame magic, usually a bright, flickering red, darkened into a deep crimson—like a smoldering coal moments before it ignites again.

Water, once a serene blue, now shimmered like moonlight on the surface of a dark ocean.

Wind, formerly a vivid green, turned into a forest shade at dusk—still alive, but quiet and ominous.

As expected, the dark and hellfire elements didn’t show much change. They were already shrouded in blackness—chaos energy simply made their edges ripple with a more ominous, unstable sheen.

But the most mesmerizing change came when I infused light and heavenfire.

Instead of becoming gray or dull like I expected, they shifted into something surreal.

The white core of the magic remained, pure and brilliant—but now it was wrapped in a shell of inky black, forming a smooth, swirling gradient of gray between the two. It was like watching sunlight struggling to break through storm clouds—beautiful, dramatic, and slightly unnerving.

<“So chaos energy actually alters the visual appearance of the magic too?”>

【Yes. It changes the color to reflect the corrupted—or rather, chaos-infused—state. Try using a few basic spells. It’ll help you get used to the feeling.】

Following her advice, I conjured a few test magics with each element: elemental balls, elemental blades, and a bit of elemental manipulation. I cycled through them all, one by one.

And sure enough, each spell carried that same visual signature—muted, shadowed, but no less potent.

Each magic came to life with eerie elegance.

A red fireball, glowing like molten lava under a starlit sky. A water blade like black glass slicing through moonlight. Even the light-element spell glowed eerily like a fallen star, wrapped in darkness.

It was strange… but beautiful in its own right.

I trained with chaos energy from midday all the way until dinner. It was taxing—not just on my body, but on my reserves of mana, aura, and patience.

By the time I sat down with another bowl of stew, I already knew the taste—bland.

<“Given the cost, I don’t think I’ll use chaos energy unless absolutely necessary.”>

I voiced the thought mid-bite.

【I agree. Just like your light and heavenfire elements, if you show off something that strong without restraint, you might draw unwanted attention. Especially from the church.】

<“You sound oddly resentful toward them… which is surprising, considering you’re an angel.”>

【It’s not the church I resent. It’s the people running it.】

Her voice sharpened—not with anger, but with quiet disappointment, like someone who’d long stopped expecting better.

【The church was originally intended to be a means for Goddess Libertas to guide humanity. A direct line between the divine and the people. But corruption crept in. Power, politics, pride… all the usual poisons. Eventually, Goddess and Angels stopped speaking through them entirely. Now, She only sends an oracle when absolutely necessary.】

<“…Is it really okay for you to tell me this?”>

【Why not? Maybe you’ll be the one to return the church to its intended path someday.】

“Haa…”

I let out a long sigh, not because I disagreed—but because of how casually she said something so heavy. Did she really expect that from me? Or was she just wishfully thinking out loud?

I didn’t press the subject further and shifted topics.

<“Anyway, I’m not sure what to focus on starting tomorrow. Got any suggestions?”>

【Morning training could go a few ways. You could start working on energy control precision, advanced magic for each element, or practice evolving basic elements into higher forms. You could even attempt creating another fusion element.】

【For physical training, it’s still important to stick with the basics—push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, jogging, footwork drills. Or… you could finally start swordsmanship. Learn some real footwork.】

<“That’s a lot of options…”>

【Yes. But you have the luxury to choose what suits you best.】

<“What about fusion elements? Would the second one take as long to create as the first?”>

【You already understand the process now, so it should go faster. Maybe a few months.】

I nodded thoughtfully.

With that, my hesitation faded.

I’ve decided what to focus on while waiting for Selena to wake up. Aside from the basics, I want to work on creating another fusion element. And… maybe leveling up my Appraisal skill because it will be very useful in adventures—at least that’s what I learned from anime.

Aza had estimated it would take up to a year for Selena to wake up. That gave me a rough timeline to plan around. If she took longer, I’d just keep training. If she woke earlier… I’d have the luxury of learning from her directly as we traveled.

Still… I couldn’t help but worry.

What if, once she recovered, she left?

We’d spent over a year together. Even if she was unconscious for much of it… she was here. Her presence filled the house. Her warmth filled my memories. A strange kind of attachment had formed between us.

But I hadn’t reached the point where I couldn’t imagine life without her.

Or at least… that’s what I told myself.

If she chose to leave, I’d keep going. I had Aza. I had Fia and Nyx. I wouldn’t be alone.

Even so…

I’d made a decision.

I would believe in her.

Believe that when she finally opened her eyes… she’d still choose to stay.