100 Reunited Again (1/2)

REALM 1

The fact that the 400 realms were one big experiment, deeply unsettled Mao Lu. He sat there in shocked silence for a bit as he let all this information sink in.

Yet as he thought about the possible implications of this restructuring, he slowly grew distracted.

So much had happened since he had thrown away that silver ring. For the first time since his ability to Sense the Realm had been unblocked, Mao Lu began to focus on his Realm.

And the moment he did, he noticed something strange.

There was this peculiar and stifling energy. The more he paid attention to it the more his skin began to itch and an uncomfortable bubbling pain arose from his body.

It was the same sensation he had experienced when he had encountered Three.

After a few seconds, Mao Lu was certain, a scientist or Creator of the experiment was in his Realm.

Another worrying factor was that Mao Lu couldn't sense his friends, other than Fang Kai, and Frank Wang, everyone was missing.

And for some unknown reason, Frank was with a group of Mage Hunters. Mao Lu was startled by these developments.

He abruptly stood up, ”I'm sorry but I think we should continue this conversation another time. I must deal with something.”

Mao Lu didn't wait for Obsidian or Argenti to reply before he opened up a doorway and left.

He stepped through it and walked into Realm 145, more specifically he walked into the driveway in front of his Siheyaun home.

Mao Lu had two thoughts upon arrival, firstly ”the peculiar energy had gotten stronger”, and secondly ”Where is my car?”

He paused for a second and realised that for some strange reason his car was near Bing Bing and Detong's apartment complex.

Mao Lu closed his eyes and grabbed the time essences in the air, the images around him began to flow in reverse, and he started to see shadows of what had happened earlier.

Some invisible person had walked out of his house, hopped into his car and driven it like a maniac.

For some reason, he couldn't see this person no matter how hard he tried. However, despite not being able to see them Mao Lu was certain it was Chàng Bo.

”How is he escaping my sight?” he wondered.

Just as he thought that the peculiar energy and painful sensation he'd been sensing sharply increased. He used the essences around him to protect himself and suppress the sensation but he still felt like he was being poked by several pins and needles.

”Gatekeeper Lu, correct?” a robotic and cold voice asked.

Mao Lu turned around and he saw Five and Four.

”And you must be two scientists, what have I done to get such a visit?” He asked calmly, physically he appeared unbothered, but inwardly he was reeling.

He felt as if his insides were rotting, something about these two made him nauseous and dizzy. What was causing this?

Five raised an eyebrow and tilted his neck, ”It seems you know of us, you shouldn't be privy to such information.”

”Well, I am privy to that information,” Mao Lu said confidently, ”and I want to know why you're here. I'm sure your presence in my realm is already disturbing the experiment.”

Four smiled weirdly, ”It does not matter what he knows, Five you forget the new Director no longer cares about censorship. The rules are changing.”

Her silver oval-shaped eyes glimmered as she addressed Mao Lu, ”We are here to hunt. A rat got into the project from the Outside and we need to do an extermination.”

Mao Lu squinted, ”What rat?”

”A rat that goes by Chàng Bo” Five said ominously, ”Nyx snuck into the project again and gave birth to this Outsider and concealed him in the realms. We only recently discovered this fact and we came to dispose of him. However, he keeps slipping from our grasp.”

”If you tell us where he is we will leave your Realm and we will ensure that you will remain after the restructure.” Four added.

Chàng Bo and Nyx? She was his Mother?

Was that the reason Chàng Bo had had a Gatekeepers key?

So many questions ran through Mao Lu's head but outwardly he was calm and unbothered.

”What if I refuse to cooperate with you?”

If you refuse to cooperate we will have to get rid of you. Everyone is replaceable, even you Gatekeeper.” Four laughed.

”Well, then it seems we are going to have to fight and I'll have to force you to leave,” Mao Lu said darkly.

”That is an extremely illogical conclusion” Five tilted his head more, ”You will not win this fight, it is better to cooperate.”

”I am not letting you eliminate my soon to be Fate Companion, and” Mao Lu released Reality Control, space began to tremble and he drew his Quintessence blade, ”I think I might win.”

REALM 145: SCANDINAVIA WESTERN WITCHES COVEN

The jade ring fell from Chàng Bo's finger as he clashed with Lady Winter.

As it clattered onto the ground a shockwave from their battle swept the ring further away.

The moment the jade ring left Chàng Bo's possession, the space within it turned into a roller coaster. Everything was being flung around.

Bing Bing tried to hold on to a wall or a shelf but she went rolling about, the same could be said for everyone else.

Tanaka screamed as he went spinning in the air, he felt like he was going to be sick. ”What's going on!? I want to get out of here!!!”

The moment Tanaka yelled that he disappeared in a clap of thunder. Bing Bing witnessed this as she was being flung around. She quickly decided to copy Tanaka, and yelled, ”Everyone scream, I want to get out of here!”

They shouted in unison ”I want to get out of here!”

With a clap of thunder, they fell out of the ring.

”Where the hell are we?” Bing Bing muttered as she looked at the rubble and collapsed walls. There was a cloud of thick dust in the air and she could hear distant screams. ”What's going on?”

”WHAT THE HELL!!!!!” Tanaka shouted. He felt something squishy underneath him. He looked down to see a headless corpse.

As Tanaka freaked out, they all began to see the dead bodies that littered around them. Blood smeared their surroundings like wet paint, and all kinds of dilapidated bodies were on the ground. It was like a scene from hell. They all felt ill as they saw this.

”Eww, what's going on!?” Bing Bing shrieked.

”I'm going to be sick,” Zhao Detong muttered.

Bei Lao actually threw up.

”What are you people doing here!?” a voice yelled in English. A brunette haired girl wearing a hooded black cape popped out. ”Quick you need to run, we need to get out of here!”

Everyone else was clueless but Zhao Detong spoke pretty good English.

”What do you mean, why should we run?”

”Can't you see!!! If you stay here you die, Chàng Bo is here to enact the Gatekeeper's anger and he's going to kill everyone in the Coven. Lady Winter is holding him off but it's just a matter of time before she goes too, we need to leave now.”

Zhao Detong's eyes went wide, Chàng Bo had done all this?

”What's going on, what did she say?” Bing Bing grabbed Detong's arm.

”She said—”

At that point, a loud ”Boom” drowned out his words.

Lady Winter fell through the ceiling. She landed on the floor in front of them with a loud bang.

”Lady Winter!” shouted the Brunette.

Winter's body was crumpled on the ground, her veins were bulging and black, as she looked at Bing Bing and the others her bloodshot dim gaze was visible.

From the ceiling, Chàng Bo drifted down. Compared to Lady Winter he was noticeably unharmed, there was only some slight wear and tear on his clothes.

”It was amusing while it lasted, but it seems your spell and life force only amounted to so much.” Chàng Bo gloated as he landed next to her.

He was about to finish her off when he noticed Bing Bing, Detong, Tanaka and Bei Lao staring at him.

His face paled, ”Why are you outside of the ring?”

…..

At that same time, Mao Lu was still facing Five and Four. They were menacingly glaring at him but then they froze. Mao Lu was momentarily confused by this but then he also sensed it.

Bing Bing, Detong, Bei Lao, and Tanaka had all suddenly appeared at the same place at the same time.

”It seems we no longer need your assistance to locate the Rat” Five smiled sinisterly.

Mao Lu blinked and Five and Four had disappeared.

”Shit!” He yelled. Chàng Bo had to be with his friends.

…..

Back at the Coven, Chàng Bo stared at Bing Bing and the rest in shock. The ring wasn't on his finger, and they had left its safety. Those Scientists would sniff them out soon.

Chàng Bo acted quickly, he grabbed Bing Bing's hand and Detong's shoulder and pulled Tanaka and Bei Lao into a hug.

In that same instance, that peculiar pressure appeared again. Chàng Bo took the brunt of it and gritted his teeth as he felt his skin begin to bubble.

”What is this!?” Bing Bing screeched.

Four and Five appeared in that instance. From the darkness they emerged, in the shadows they formed like a jigsaw, piece by piece.

”Shhh be quiet” Chàng Bo muttered, ”If you don't you will die.”

Bing Bing silently whimpered at his words.

”They were just here” Four muttered.

”They're still here, they couldn't have left that fast. They're hiding somehow” Five confirmed.

Four walked up to the Brunette Witch and Lady Winter. As they approached, the Brunette began to scream in agony. Lady Winter also groaned and soon both their bodies began to bubble up. A moment later they both exploded into a foam of blood and bodily fluids.

Chàng Bo felt himself shudder, he hadn't wanted to face Four and Five so soon.

He could take that awful pain of theirs that caused his body to rot, but the same couldn't be said for Mao Lu's friends.

The necklace kept them out of sight but they were still there, and it wouldn't be easy to escape while trying to shield these mortals. And he wasn't confident in his ability to fight these two.

Five and Four were standing so close that If either of them reached out their hands, just a little, it would all be over.

Just then the space in front of Chàng Bo rippled and a doorway appeared.

He felt his heart thump as he saw Mao Lu step through that doorway.

His brown hair had grown a bit longer, he was wearing a peculiar flowing bodysuit that had runes across it, and in his hand was a golden sword. Around him, a large eel-like essence, as big as a ship swam about. He felt different, more mature but there was still that same old gentle vibe.

Chàng Bo felt his breath stop and a warmth spread across him. All the anger, aggression, frustration and even fear he'd been feeling instantly melted away.

He was shocked by how deeply he felt relief at his presence.