Lucifer: The Swamp Fruit

The approach of controlling blood to generate heat seemed, for the moment, to yield no positive results. While the momentary burst of power was formidable, it wasn't worth it; after all, it was a foolish act of inflicting a thousand points of damage on the enemy while suffering eight hundred oneself.

As for slowing down his blood flow, Wilder decided to put that idea on hold for the time being. Because… something more intriguing had caught his attention.

Controlling his swamp… had become easier!

When he had crashed into the pit earlier, his body had passively transformed into its elemental state. And then… the swamp had exhibited incredible malleability and density, forming, under Wilder's reflexive control, into a cocoon-like structure that enveloped him.

And it was in that instant that Wilder noticed that the swamp… seemed to have become somewhat harder than before. More precisely… it seemed to have solidified.

"Interesting. Not only can I control my body, but also my Devil Fruit abilities? Or perhaps… while the soul grants a powerful, almost tangible consciousness, that consciousness can also sink into it, allowing for better utilization and exploration of the Devil Fruit abilities, directly reducing the difficulty of the process by several levels?"

"Nyehehehe… That means I can put the development and training of my Swamp-Swamp Fruit abilities on the agenda as well."

Wilder felt that this was similar to his special Life Return. The latter was about controlling and developing his body, while the former was about controlling and developing his swamp abilities. Both had emerged due to his extraordinary soul.

After pondering for a moment, Wilder decided to give names to these two changes brought about by his soul:

Life Return and Ability Unleashed.

The former was for deeper control of his body, the latter for deeper control and exploration of his Devil Fruit abilities.

The two had corresponding commonalities. Wilder speculated that the process of developing his Life Return was also the process of exploring his Devil Fruit abilities. Perhaps they wouldn't always be connected, but what had just happened was a prime example: after controlling his blood, the malleability of his swamp had increased, even causing a change in its properties.

Simply put, Life Return was the development of the body, and since his abilities also resided within his body, the development process of Life Return could potentially trigger or influence a certain aspect of Ability Unleashed.

"So, currently, the development of blood control in Life Return has influenced the shaping and hardening aspects of the swamp in Ability Unleashed. The two have no logical connection, meaning this process is unpredictable. I can't foresee what effects Life Return will have on Ability Unleashed."

Of course, conversely, the development of Ability Unleashed didn't necessarily require going through Life Return. It could be approached directly through the ability itself. But the complexity of abilities wasn't as straightforward as the body, with its visible blood, bones, and so on. Consequently, the difficulty of developing it would undoubtedly be considerable. This was also why, until now, Wilder's abilities hadn't made much progress.

Numerous speculations flashed through his mind until he had roughly sorted out his thoughts.

As Wilder picked up his clothes from the floor and put them on, slowly buttoning them up, he spoke expressionlessly:

"Claire, help me draft a request. I want to go to Level 5."

"Yes, First-sama." From a corner of the training room, a woman with short, silver-white hair that reached her ears, dressed in a secretary's outfit, and with a gentle smile on her lips, stepped forward.

Tap… Tap… Tap… Wilder had just finished buttoning his shirt. He glanced at her, seeming to remember something, and walked towards Claire.

"Remember, Claire, I trust you. That's why I gave you the position of secretary. Remember… never betray me. Because that would disappoint me greatly." His three-meter height carried immense pressure. His eyes were captivating, sharp and cold, as he looked down at Claire.

Claire's gentle features seemed to melt like water. Her tall, alluring figure seemed like that of a child at this moment. She looked up at Wilder, her brow slightly furrowed, a hint of grievance in her eyes.

After a long while, she lowered her head, and a muffled, unhappy voice came from her lips: "I understand."

"Nyehehehe… Trust me, Claire. The outside world is more wonderful than you can imagine. Three years from now, I'll take you with me." Wilder smiled gently and reached out to stroke Claire's hair.

"Mm-hmm!" Claire, like an injured kitten receiving comfort, nodded obediently, her face flushed as she enjoyed Wilder's head-pat.

Wilder turned and walked towards the exit of the training room with a wide smile, Claire following closely behind.

As for the devastation in the training room… this was his domain.

Six months was enough time for Wilder to cultivate genuinely loyal subordinates. Claire was an unfortunate woman, the child of an Impel Down prisoner. From birth, her world had been confined to the small space of Impel Down. After the prisoner was executed, Claire was not even two years old. And more tragically, as she grew up, Claire became a jailer, an ordinary female jailer thrown into a heap of men.

Wilder had always considered himself a compassionate person. Just as he had saved Yves, Wilder hoped that Claire could also become his subordinate, and perhaps… even a companion.

Over six months, with deliberate care, Claire had quickly become the qualified assistant he envisioned.

This poor, affection-starved woman…

If possible, Wilder even wanted Little Sadi to become his subordinate as well, since she was a woman with considerable fighting strength. But it was clear that beneath Little Sadi's insubordinate exterior lay a heart fiercely loyal to Impel Down.

Back in his office, Wilder took a cold shower. The icy water slid down his solid muscles. His body felt too lazy to move. Bathing was both a pleasure and a torment for Devil Fruit users.

He walked out of the bathroom bare-chested. Claire had just returned with the approved request. She pushed open the door and entered, her face instantly turning fiery red, her eyes widening into large, blank circles, and puffs of hot air escaping from her face.

"Fi-First-sama, Warden Magellan has approved… your request."

"Thank you, Claire." Wilder smiled, taking the request and casually tossing it into a desk drawer.

"No… It's no trouble at all to serve First-sama!" Claire hurriedly shook her head, lowering her head and occasionally stealing glances at Wilder's bare chest, her face flushed.

"Then, pack your things and come with me to Level 5." Wilder paid no attention to this, focusing on reviewing his daily work.

The pile of documents rapidly diminished before his eyes. Wilder had never been one to procrastinate or be careless, regardless of whether he enjoyed the task.

"Let's go." Once he had finished reviewing the documents, Wilder stood up, put on his clothes, and strode out of the office.

"Yes." Claire quickly followed.

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