In the training room, Wilder sat cross-legged, his eyes tightly closed, quietly sensing everything within his body.
The changes in his body began with his blood, so Wilder wanted to test whether he could control it, and what extraordinary effects such control might produce.
Life Return, at its core, was about using one's consciousness to control the body, infusing one's will into it and manipulating it.
It sounds easy, but not everyone can grasp something as intangible as consciousness, let alone infuse it.
Wilder vaguely remembered only one person in the original work who could use Life Return consciously, a man named Kumadori.
Using the skill of Life Return, Kumadori could control his body, including manipulating his hair and digestive system.
And this was why Wilder called the phenomenon resulting from his body's changes a "special Life Return." His consciousness could perfectly sink into his body, more comprehensive and detailed than mere infusion.
However, although he could sink his consciousness into his body, achieving actual control was not something that could be accomplished overnight. Wilder decided to start with his blood, taking it step by step.
"What can blood do?"
Wilder closed his eyes and pondered.
"What's certain so far is that the instantaneous stop of accelerated blood flow can make the body hard, which is one of the Six Powers, Iron Body. And this can be achieved by other CP9 members who don't possess Life Return, meaning that blood can be initially controlled without consciously infusing it, like breathing. Controlling breathing determines the length of one's stamina."
"So, compared to other things, blood… should be easier to control."
Besides accelerating blood flow and stopping it instantly, then… the remaining options were to make the blood flow generate heat, or to make it flow slower than usual… What effect would that have?
Wilder considered this. He wasn't concerned about whether the final result would be unfavorable. All he wanted was to put the ideas that arose in his mind into action.
Techniques all evolved from countless ideas with unknown ends. You might know how to ride a bicycle, but what lies at the end of the road? The bicycle won't tell you.
These two options were both based on the speed of blood flow. One was faster than normal, faster than Iron Body; the other was slower than normal. As for how slow, it seemed… the limit was stopping.
He had already achieved making his muscles harden by rapidly increasing and then instantly stopping his blood flow, resulting in the technique Iron Body. So, what about slowing the blood flow gradually, until it stopped?
Death?
He would have to try it to find out.
Wilder began attempting to use his consciousness to connect with his blood.
This was his first time doing something so extraordinary. Even with Iron Body, he hadn't used his consciousness. His body, at that time, seemed to already possess a muscle memory for using Iron Body; it should be considered a companion skill that came with unlocking his talent.
The first step, connecting to or communicating with his blood using his consciousness, was very successful. Soon, Wilder found himself immersed in a crimson world, flowing with his blood, infusing his entire being.
The scarlet blood, and the consciousness immersed within it, felt as though Wilder himself were present, carried along by the blood, he began to accelerate.
Rumble! The surging blood roared like thunder within his blood vessels, like ten thousand galloping horses, rapid and mighty.
Faster!
Faster!
Faster still!
The speed of his blood flow quickly surpassed the limit used for Iron Body, yet Wilder didn't stop, continuing to accelerate.
Boom!
With a deafening roar in his ears, Wilder felt as though he were immersed in warm soup. The surface of his body began to redden and heat up.
Sizzle… Wisps of white steam rose from his body. Wilder turned a purplish-red color. Due to the high temperature, his bodily fluids were constantly evaporating. If this continued, Wilder would likely collapse once his body's water content was depleted.
Frowning, Wilder focused on containing the evaporation of bodily fluids within him. This wasn't too difficult to achieve. Soon, Wilder successfully contained the increasingly rapid evaporation within his body.
"Urgh…" Suddenly, Wilder's eyes shot open, nearly splitting. The water within him was evaporating but couldn't escape. His body began to bear the brunt of the heat, swelling up.
"This is…!" As he opened his mouth, a puff of white steam escaped. The water vapor inside his body made Wilder feel incredibly uncomfortable. Fortunately, he was a Devil Fruit user, inherently defying ordinary explanation, so even in this state, he didn't immediately drop dead.
"Aargh!"
The heat within his body felt like it was about to explode. Wilder involuntarily opened his mouth, and white steam erupted forth.
Bang! A burst of white steam appeared, and Wilder suddenly vanished from the spot.
Bam! Bam! Bam! Unseen feet stomped on the air and the ground. Puffs of white steam exploded in mid-air. Wilder felt an inexhaustible power within him that needed to be released. He abruptly charged towards the ground.
With extreme speed, his red fist smashed into the ground!
Boom!
The floor buckled and rose up in sections. The center was deeply sunken. Stone fragments shot outwards like cannonballs, striking the walls. Bricks and stones shattered and exploded, creating a cloud of thick smoke.
Boom! The buckled floor shook again. A dense network of cracks, like centipedes, spread rapidly outwards.
Boom! Three consecutive explosions rang out. With the third, a terrifying shockwave radiated outwards, seemingly breaking free from the solidified air, sweeping in all directions, swift and sustained.
The billowing smoke dissipated. The training room was a complete mess. A pit three meters deep appeared in the very center of the room, and including the surrounding upturned stones, the area affected reached a frightening fifteen meters in diameter.
Wilder lay in the pit, his body pinned between large rocks, staring up at the ceiling of the training room. Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, and his face was pale.
The strength in his body was completely drained. His blood flow had calmed.
Wilder suddenly grinned, his eyes wide, laughing maniacally. "Nyahahaha!"
"Nyahahahahaha!"
The laughter abruptly stopped. The smile on Wilder's face gradually faded, and a low, muttered self-address escaped his lips:
"It seems… the first attempt… was a failure…!"
"However…"
"It seems I've discovered something even more interesting." The corners of his mouth curled up silently, and Wilder's eyes shone with excitement.
He lay there quietly, pinned within the pile of rocks, the blood staining the stones beneath him crimson. Wilder's broad, muscular chest heaved violently, but his smile grew wider.
"Let's begin."
After his stamina recovered, with a whoosh, Wilder's body leaped up.
Thud. His feet landed on the floor, and he was free from the rocks that had trapped him.
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