A Gatekeeper & The Celestial Sovereign - Chapter 46

Birds with no eyes and wings made of neon lights.

Butterflies that left trails of sparkling dust at the flutter of each wing.

Bees made of silver and white fur, buzzing around.

Worms that were constantly dividing and merging together again as if undergoing the process of mitosis and meiosis, continuously.

These are just some of the Essences.

The human body is made up of various organisms, cells, that can be seen through a microscope.

The Realm is similar.

Just like a living being, which is made of various components, the essences are the cells of the universe.

The cells of the Realm.

When someone Awakens, they begin to see all the components of the Realm, they can see the organisms that exist within it. The Essences.

The main Element Essences of fire, water, earth, and air. Fire branches out into heat and lightning. Water branches out to ice, cold, and healing.

Each main Element Essence has a variety of essences branching from it. Such as the Essence of Sound is in the same family as the Essence of Wind which both come from the same family as the Main Essence of Air.

All the Main Essences are from the Origin Essences, which are Creation, Destruction, and Time.

All of these Essences in harmony with each other, are the cells of the Realm, the building blocks of life.

In this perspective, then isn’t the Realm a living being?

Then the irregularity, in this case, is an infection. Which aims to eat all the Essences in the Realm and in effect drain the Realm of all its sustenance, killing it.

_________

Through Mao Lu’s closed eyes, he could see all the Essences that made up the Realm. They were of all shapes and sizes.

Some similar to insects or animals’ others of no recognisable shape or appearance.

They all had a variety of colours.

It was as if the world had been dyed by splattering paint, the lights were blinding, they made his temples throb.

With Sense of the Realm, Mao Lu could feel all the Essences. They were everywhere. They were on people, on materials, on animals, on sounds, on smells and on every possible sensation. They truly made up everything.

As all the essences came into higher definition, he calmly repeated the incantation he’d been practicing in his head.

“Fkeur Hudbhac, Fkeur summmhe, Fkeur hmmm sundrum, Fkeur Hudbhac.”

He said each syllable slowly, his words were loud, and he pronounced them clearly. His tone solemn.

Mao Lu felt like he was in a concert hall filled with thousands of loudly chatting people, and he was trying to get each and every single one of them to give him their undivided attention. It was difficult.

As he said the phrase aloud for the first time, he felt all the Essences in the Realm turn towards him.

“POW”

A wave of energy crashed against Mao Lu, his head snapped back, he felt like a planet had smashed against him.

His nose began bleeding and his mouth filled with blood. Mao Lu felt his veins bulge and his heart rate accelerate. His body was getting hotter and hotter.

Despite this, he didn’t stop, he repeated the phrase yet again, “Fkeur Hudbhac, Fkeur summmhe, Fkeur hmmm sundrum, Fkeur Hudbhac.”

As he said “Fkeur Hudbhac”, “One created two” he felt the atmosphere around him buzz. Everything around him buzzed.

The Essences that had all turned towards Mao Lu, began singing the incantation back to him. It was as if he was surrounded by a massive choir “Fkeur Hudbhac, Fkeur summmhe, Fkeur hmmm sundrum Fkeur Hudbhac”.

As each essence sang, Mao Lu felt a pressure building and building. It was a suffocating sensation, as if he was being smothered. A loud ringing sound, like a high-pitched frequency filled his ears.

His ears also began to bleed.

Mao Lu felt slow and sluggish. Against this building pressure even his thoughts were coming out like a drunken slow slur, as all the essences tried to communicate with him at once.

_________

Chàng Bo’s thoughts raced.

Firstly, this creature could be harmed by large concentrations of essence. This wasn’t new information. Chàng Bo already knew this since his techniques, Starlight and Supernova, had already injured the Irregularity. And they were powered by large concentrations of Celestial essence.

However continuously using Starlight and Supernova quickly drained Chàng Bo of his internal essence, it wasn’t a good choice to use Supernova or starlight at full strength. If he did, and he didn’t destroy the creature, then he’d leave himself and Mao Lu vulnerable.

The other weaknesses were that the Irregularity had low intelligence and had an unstable form…

“This is all I can think of, damn it!” Chàng Bo gasped, he’d tried to come up with a good plan but he was only able to think of a mediocre one, but this mediocre plan was the best he could come up with “Let’s just hope this thing is as stupid as I’m betting it is. But if I fail, I’m screwed.”

Chàng Bo glanced back at Mao Lu, he wanted to ask him what was going on or get some tips from him on how to defeat this creature, but he stopped himself when he saw the blood leaking from Mao Lu’s nose, mouth and ears.

Whilst Mao Lu bled, his mouth was moving, yet whatever words he said were muted and Chàng Bo couldn’t hear them.

“What’s wrong!?” Chàng Bo asked in alarm as he grabbed Mao Lu’s shoulder. Yet the moment they touched; he felt his entire body become enveloped in an unimaginable pain. As if every single blood vessel were being pulled from his body and ripped apart.

“ARHHGGGGGGGGGVGVVVVVHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!” He screamed, immediately letting go.

He panted as the pain faded away, his body coated in sweat.

What the hell! was what Chàng Bo was about to shout, but the words died in throat, as he looked up.

Mao Lu’s eyes were open.

They were filled with light, and were burning like two hot stars, with a flaming-blue-multi-coloured-iridescent light.

The moment their eyes connected; Chàng Bo felt a fear he’d never felt before.

In his entire life, Chàng Bo had never been afraid of anyone. The only person he felt any awe for was his own Father. He had always viewed stronger practitioners as steppingstones he’d soon surpass and he’d always secretly disregarded Gatekeepers, believing all their powers were nothing but hot air.

Yet now as he felt an undeniably powerful pressure grabbing hold of every inch of his body, and he felt himself drenched in his own sweat. Unable to move like a rabbit caught in headlights, he suddenly realised why even his Father bowed to Gatekeepers.

This power. This ability. This terror. It wasn’t something Chàng Bo could measure.

His heart raced like it was going to explode.

All the while Mao Lu seemed to ignore him and continuously moved his mouth, saying those words that Chàng Bo couldn’t hear.

Chàng Bo shook, he wanted to gain the courage to ask Mao Lu what he was doing, but Chàng Bo was petrified into silence.

He wasn’t released from this gripping terror until Mao Lu’s burning gaze moved away from him.

The moment it did, Chàng Bo hurriedly turned away.

His Internal essence was all over the place, his heart rate was erratic, and his hands shook.

He’d never felt so helpless in his entire life. Chàng Bo swore to himself that he’d never make enemies with Mao Lu.

He breathed slowly, attempting to regain his composure.

At that same time two hundred more vines smashed against Chàng Bo’s light wall barrier, causing Chàng Bo to feel a jarringly sharp pain in his side, as the surface of the wall cracked slightly.

“I don’t have time to be having some stupid panic attack, I need to deal with this now, or at least buy enough time for Mao Lu to do what he needs to do.” he muttered, as he jumped through his wall of light.

The moment he emerged from the light barrier, several vines burst forth from the creature, shooting towards Chàng Bo. In mid-air he agilely dodged each one, whilst at the same time using Starlight to fry them. The Irregularity howled in pain as its vines were incinerated.

As it howled, Chàng Bo went into a free fall through the air, diving straight towards the centre of the Irregularity.

It was a high-altitude low opening dive. As he fell past the clouds and reached the mouth of the Irregularity, he stopped right above its pulsating green flesh.

“Hey Monster!!!” Chàng Bo yelled, “Do you want to eat me?! You’re too big and too clumsy to do anything to me! If you want me then to come, get me!”

He yelled as he flew high into the air.

The creature was a low-level irregularity with low intelligence and an unstable form. Chàng Bo was hoping that the creature was smart enough to understand his words, yet also be dumb enough to be goaded by him.

As Chàng Bo flew with lightning speed away from the Irregularity, the creature didn’t shoot after him, it hesitated.

“Come on fall for it, fall for it, fall for it” Chàng Bo prayed.

All at once the Irregularity began to shrink. The space it had occupied reverted back into the former Zhongshan park. Albeit a Zhongshan park now filled with dead trees, overturned ground, and a huge hole in the centre.

The Irregularity condensed into a humanoid figure. It’s skin a mottled green, it had a long tongue that hung out of its mouth, its figure was huge like a burly ape. Its face filled with several eyes which all locked onto Chàng Bo.

A shockwave emitted from its feet as it launched off the ground, shooting towards Chàng Bo like a rocket.

“Yes, it fell for it, it’s coming!” Chàng Bo laughed as he zoomed faster and higher into the air.

_________

Mao Lu chanted the incantation for the eighth time. Eight was the magic number, it signifies resurrection and regeneration, success, and wealth. And in terms of magic it was a binding number.

The moment Mao Lu uttered the last syllable, all the singing Essences went silent, all their attention on Mao Lu.

“Now you must command them, not with words but with your mind. Control them and make them seal the Irregularity. You can do it Mao Lu.” Gates instructed.

Mao Lu stood up, as he stirred, everything around him stirred as well. With but a gentle flick of his wrist, Chàng Bo’s light wall dispersed.

Mao Lu’s burning eyes gazed at the Irregularity that was quickly catching up to Chàng Bo.

_________

Chàng Bo could feel the Irregularity, it was close by, snapping right at his heels.

“Just a little bit more.”

Chàng Bo wanted to get into space. He wanted to bring this thing into the atmosphere where there was greater celestial essence. When he got there, he would use Supernova and completely fry it.

It wasn’t the best of plans or strategies, but Chàng Bo wasn’t a strategist and it was the best he could come up with considering the circumstances.

Chàng Bo was sure that he wouldn’t miss, so he was planning to put all his essence into one final punch that would kill the creature or at least buy him a lot of time.

“Nearly there!” as he travelled closer to Space, he was already getting himself ready. He was pulling all the celestial essence that he could muster, towards the Earth.

His best shot was getting it in one hit.

Just as Chàng Bo passed the Earth’s boundary and shot into space, he pulled all the nearby star essences into his fist, and with all his strength he spun around and punched the Irregularity.

“AHHHBFHVFHVEFHVHHHHHHHHHHWHBHSHGHHHHHHH!!!!!!”

It howled as Chàng Bo’s punch connected… however that was all that happened.

Chàng Bo was expecting it to explode in a huge blast. Even though he wasn’t 100% proficient in the Supernova skill, it was still one of his strongest skills. And he could still explode a planet using this type of punch. Yet other than screaming in pain, that was all the creature did.

“Huh!!!!”

“ALERT, ALERT, ALERT!!” The Sovereign System pinged in his head, “POTENTIAL THREAT TO HEALTH IMMINENT. IRREGULARITY HAS EVOLVED TO MID-LEVEL IRREGULARITY. NOW IMPERVIOUS TO HIGH CONCENTRATIONS OF ESSENCE”

“Now impervious to high concentrations of Essence?!!!!” Chàng Bo thought in horror. The creature evolved that quickly, did that mean his Supernova punch was useless.

“ALERT, ALERT, ALERT!! STRENGTH STAT DOWN TO ‘O’, YOU HAVE NO INTERNAL ESSENCE FOR SPELLS OR COUNTERATTACKS.”

The Irregularity cocked its ugly head, it’s screaming stopped as it realised it wasn’t harmed by Chàng Bo’s hit.

Its long tongue hung out low as it laughed at Chàng Bo mockingly. It’s laughter like a hyena’s “HEP HEP HEP HEP!”

Chàng Bo felt a growing sense of doom as the Irregularity stared at him with its several eyes.

Just as It was about to lunge for him, Chàng Bo bracing himself, it halted.

Unable to move.

All of a sudden Mao Lu was in front of Chàng Bo, facing the Irregularity.

“SEAL” he said calmly.