Chapter 14

A/N: Would've preferred this update to be just a weee bit longer but...eh, what can ya do?

Baterilla, South Blue

Do you recall the first time you ever whistled? Think back now. For years of your younger life it was something that others could do, but not yourself. You would purse your lips out, try your hardest, and end up disappointed as you spat out useless unmusical air.

Then one day, perhaps rather unceremoniously, you simply did it. Maybe it was by accident. Maybe it was on purpose. But one day you simply figured out the trick. Suddenly you just knew how.

There was nothing wrong with you before. You were always physically capable of whistling. All the tools required to pull it off were under your direct control the entire time. But you just. Didn't. Know. How.

This is the crux of [Seimei Kikan].

I understand that I can regulate my own heartbeat now. I can take control of my sympathetic nervous system. I can remove the unconscious limiters for 'Hysterical Strength', the incredible power mothers have tapped into to lift cars off of children.

Hell, I probably can do all of those at once and jerry-rig together some sort of bootleg version of 'Gear Second'. 'Tearing the muscles straight off my bones is a concern but [HP Regen] should be able to mitigate that.'

But...like...how do I do that? It's not as simple as 'I think it, therefore it happens'. I can't even do the mental exercise where you 'put a thumb up, point at it with your other hand, and then switch really fast' without screwing it up.

"Kee-wee?" My companion chirps next to me.

I snatch a small fish from the pile at my side and toss it straight up, high above the tops of the trees and well beyond the limits of a normal mans pitch.

"Kee! Kee! Kee! Kee!" Kiwi trills excitedly as he throws himself after the prize, taking into the air with an incredible gust of wind.

The super sparrow snaps his bill over the treat right as it reaches it's zenith and then lands back down next to me to begin swallowing it down.

Then there's another problem to consider. The scope of [Seimei Kikan] is incredibly ill-defined. It's quite difficult to say what is and isn't possible with it. 'The issue then becomes even more muddled when I consider just how...malleable... human bodies are in this world as compared to on earth. One of the more common applications that comes to mind is individuals finding ways to increase their muscle mass on command. Firstly, there's Zoro and his 'Ichi Gorilla/Ni Gorilla' technique, which honestly seems like a pretty solid trick to have in your back pocket.'

My hand encircles around the tail of another of the...what the [Game] says is a species of 'Sea Bass'...and wind my arm up. Kiwi's eyes track my movements with a glazed over look in his eye. It's the closest expression to drooling that he's capable of.

I chuck the fish into the sky, this time at an angle to put some real distance on it and Kiwi hurtles after it like a bloodhound. 'Way beyond Zoro's skill though there's Lao G of the Donquixote family to consider. Dude found a way to pull off a full-fledged 'Max Power mode' Master Roshi style. Even more impressive than that, Urouge the 'Mad Monk' somehow tripled his own mass when squaring off against a Pacifista...though now that I think about it I suspect that last one may be Fruit related. Something about converting damage taken into physical power maybe?'

The Super Sparrow lands next to me again. "Kee! Kee-wee!" He chatters impatiently, ready for the next piece of his mid-morning snack.

"Noooo. No yelling Kiwi." I playfully chide. "If you yell, you don't get any more."

"Kee..." he warbles softly, tucking his wings back in and bowing slightly.

I stare him down for a few seconds before letting a small smile grow on my face. "Good bird." Quick as a flash I seize another fish from the pile and try going for a personal record, launching the small one-pound bass far beyond the tree line. The sparrow perks up in delight and zooms back into the air with a cheerful cry. "Kee! Kee! Kee!"

I watch him fly away and then turn my thoughts back to [Seimei Kikan]. 'Maybe I should just focus on trying something simple first. Get something easy figured out before wondering how deep the rabbit hole on this [Skill] really goes.' I cross my legs over each other and bring my hands into my lap. 'How about heartbeat? That seems entry-level. People all over the world can lower theirs down with a little deep breathing and a few basic relaxation techniques. [Seimei Kikan] should just let me take it to the next level.'

My eyelids drift shut as I inhale a long focused breath through my nose. My exhale is slow, controlled, and after just a few cycles I can feel myself drifting inward. I can visualize the organ beating in my chest. Pumping. Thumping. Cycling blood with every contraction and expansion. Deeper and deeper I float down into the pseudo-zen state until… I have control. It's a foreign sensation. Difficult to put into words. But I just know that it will obey my order. 'And we're slooowing down. Sloooooooooowing down...Lower….. Lower…... Loooooooower…... Too low. Gooooo up.'

"Kee-wee!" The bird screams in my ear, scaring the life out of me. "Wee…?" he questions with a gesture to the half-stack of fish remaining.

"Jesus Kiwi! Don't do that! I could've accidentally..." There's a sharp tightness in my chest. Pain flaring across my body. I bend at the waist and my whole face twists in pain. 'Wha-?'

Alert! Your heart has stopped beating. [HP Regen] has been disabled until the issue is resolved.