Sensing the Realm (1)

"Now we shall commence with your training for the day." Gates proclaimed the moment Mr.Baker had left, "And this is the perfect place to train your abilities to sense your realm."

"Sense my realm?" Mao Lu put the employee and VIP card in his pockets.

"I have told you already that by becoming a Gatekeeper you not only own this realm but you have become this realm. You are realm 145, every speck of dust, every solar flare, and even the smallest asteroid floating in space is yours and belongs to you."

As Gates spoke the realistic projections of space in the room moved like lightning, portraying the solar systems and galaxies.

"I already told you the stages, after Awakening then comes Merging. Merging is the process of a Gatekeeper becoming truly one with their realm. You will be able to control your own domain like it is your very own flesh. To get to the Merging stage you must be able to do something basic, and that is sensing your realm. Sensing what is coming in and out of it, sensing what is moving around it. Heightening your awareness so that in your realm you are unbeatable. To do this I want you to get comfortable and close your eyes."

Mao Lu obediently laid on the starry floor and closed his eyes.

"Even with your eyes shut, with your inner eye you should still be able to see the essence around you." Gates voice gently rang across Mao Lu's head.

Gates was right. Even with his eyes closed Mao Lu could still see the swimming time essences, and the life essences, and the other essences surrounding him. Actually with his eyes closed he felt like he could see them even better than before, it was as if they'd really come into focus. The moment the essence appeared clearer Mao Lu wanted to look away from them.

When they were slightly out of focus like before, Mao Lu had thought the time essences had looked rather gorgeous with their glistening blue and eel like features, but now in focus they were rather frightening. He could see their faces that didn't have eyes, they had long jagged teeth which seemed to drip with a weird substance, the bluish light emanating from their claws and scales felt rather sharp, so sharp that he felt as if he was being cut just by looking at it.

All the other essences also seemed much more frightening.

"Do not let the essence overwhelm you. Remember you are in control." Gates reminded.

"I am in control...I am in control.." Mao Lu repeated to himself, as he did so he felt his heart rate slow as he calmed down. Mao Lu felt like a fool for being momentarily frightened, wasn't everything in this realm his including the essence. Only a fool would fear something they owned and controlled.

As Mao Lu steadied himself the essence became gradually even more clearer than before, and it wasn't just the ones next to him but even the ones several meters away began to become much more clear. The range of what he could see and the clarity of it increased and increased.

Even though he felt calm, at the same time Mao Lu felt the peculiar sensation of his mind being stretched. It felt like his head was being pulled in several different directions. It was such a weird feeling.

Gates observed Mao Lu quietly. It was shocked. It had been aware that this boy was extremely talented but it had underestimated Mao Lu. "His mental strength is formidable."

Usually during the process of sensing ones realm most would collapse or need a break within the first minute. When the essence became more clear it was a frightening and overwhelming experience, being able to remain calm and go through with it without much struggle on a first try was almost unheard of. Not to mention Mao Lu's mind was also being stretched beyond its previous limits, as he begins to sense more of the realm he's taking in massive amounts of information. For someone that was only a mortal yesterday his mind should have felt the burden in the first 30 seconds.

Yet Gates observed with growing fascination, as an hour passed by.

To Mao Lu, as the essence became clearer he began to see other things.

It was like he had become a drone all of a sudden and he was flying through the walls. He could now visualise all the people in the offices who were still busy at work. He could perceive all the essence surrounding them, he could feel the changes in their bodies, from the subtle changes in their heartbeats to the pulsing of the blood within their veins.

With time he felt himself fly beyond the offices, suddenly he was back in B&B law firm. It felt as if all the essence was fighting for his attention.

All the materials were screaming at him, from the materials that made the concrete to the wind blowing from the air conditioners. Even the papers people were reading in a conference room began to whine to him. Begging him for his attention. Everything became so impossibly loud. There was so much just so much to everything.

Mao Lu felt his heart begin to speed up again, and his veins bulge, but he forced himself to remain calm. "I am in control."

In the firm filled with workers he could hear every conversation, he could see every scene within every room. When he felt like he'd absorbed every corner he burst out of the building. The moment Mao Lu felt his consciousness hit the evening sky of Beijing, he let out a piercing scream.

Blood began to flow down his ears, his nose and from the corners of his closed eyes. There was just too much. Far far far too much information suddenly. 21 million beijingers voices and noises filled him, the sounds of the clouds, the winds, the planes, the cars, and the people. And so much essence. He couldn't calm himself anymore, he felt like he was choking and drowning in all of it.

"Open your eyes, calm yourself, come back to yourself!" Gates commanding voice shook Lu's entire being.

Mao Lu's eyes snapped open, they were bloodshot. He gasped and began inhaling and exhaling loudly, sucking in the air around him noisily. His breath came out in black steam that froze at the ends and then scattered like dust.

Mao Lu gingerly stroked his neck, he'd really felt like he'd been suffocating. As he touched it he noticed the blood flowing from his nose, ears and eyes. Yet Mao Lu didn't focus on it. His senses were still tingling. His eyes seemed to have gained x-ray vision, as he could easily see beyond the walls now, he could see the people beyond. He could still hear the objects around him whispering.

"Well done Mao Lu, for your first attempt being able to sense this entire building and even going so far as beginning to sense the entire city of Beijing. Very impressive. With more practice eventually you'll be able to sense this entire realm easily. For now though, I suggest you get some rest. We will resume this practice tomorrow."

Mao Lu nodded slowly, his senses still buzzing.

In a daze he stood up staggering. As he walked towards the door he felt the invisible force of Gates carrying him as it usually did. Unseen by everyone he was taken out of the Gatekeeper Offices and back to his apartment. The moment his head touched the pillow he was asleep.

…..

05:00

"Bip beep... Bip beep... Bip beep" buzzed Mao Lu's phone.

Mao Lu opened his crusty eyes. His head still ached. He wanted to ignore it but after his phone beeped for the seventh time, he crawled out of bed and to the bathroom. He was shocked when he saw the dried blood caked all over him, as soon as he saw it he remembered yesterday.

"I only got as far as slightly sensing Beijing and this happened, how the hell am I supposed to sense this entire universe exactly?" He muttered as he washed his face.

"Don't worry it will get easier after this. The first is always the hardest." Gates reassuring voice echoed in the bathroom.

"I hope today's session goes easier then." Mao Lu replied as he entered the shower. In less than 20 minutes he was outside next to the bus stop dressed in his overalls. Gates in the form of a small key chain was hooked to his belt.

"Where are you going today?" Gates asked.

Mao Lu hopped on the bus, "Well I also work part time at JJJ Cleaning company 3 days a week in the early mornings. The pay is quite good. I need to go in today, finish my shift and give in my letter of resignation. I have a zero hour contract so I only get paid for the hours I work, so I can quit immediately without having to work the rest of the week." Mao Lu mentally told Gates.

"If you can quit and not have to work the rest of the week then why not quit the moment you go in this morning. That way you don't have to work the rest of your shift?"

"If I quit just like that without giving them any warning or calling in beforehand, that would be rude. At least if I tell them by the end of my shift today then they'll have time to find someone to replace me for tomorrow. It's called showing respect Gates."

Gates was rather speechless. Mao Lu was far too polite and too self disciplined. He had all this money and status now, he didn't need to act polite if he didn't have to. He could quit all of these jobs now if he wanted to and they probably wouldn't hate him for it. Gates didn't know whether it was annoyed or impressed by Mao Lu's mindset, most Gatekeepers he met usually got very arrogant very quickly.

"Just how many jobs do you have?" It asked.

"Only four; a sales assistant at the convenience store, a bartender at Roaring Tiger, a Cleaner at JJJ, and a waiter at Cafe E'clair. It's not that much, I used to have eight jobs before I hit my 20's when I was really desperate for cash." Mao Lu leaned his head against the window of the rocking bus. He remembered how he'd worked like a cow over the years. He really couldn't believe it all was coming to an end soon. He wondered if he would be bored not working so much like he used to, but then again being a Gatekeeper was bound to be exciting, difficult, and time consuming.

Gates was slightly aghast. Eight jobs, in comparison it did make the four he had now seem like nothing but four jobs was still a lot.

11:00

"So you're really quitting!" An old man in blue overalls said, his saggy wrinkled eyes scanning the letter Mao Lu handed him. "Well I'll cut you loose then, it's been good having a hard worker like you. If you need a good referral for another job just call me." the old man sighed.

"If I do need a referral I will. Thank you so much for having me all these years!" Mao Lu bowed deeply.

"I can't believe you're leaving us Mao Lu!" A young man wearing a cap and overalls hugged him.

"Yh Mao Lu, we'll miss you!" A girl in overalls joined in the hug, "You better still come to our drinking parties."

Mao Lu laughed "I'll make time for them."

In less than five minutes he left the small JJJ building and was walking to the train station.

"Where are you going now?" Gates asked

"To the Chaoyang District." Mao Lu looked at his watch, "It will probably take more than an hour to get there using public transport, so let's get a move on."

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12:20

The Chaoyang district in Beijing is considered as one of the best neighbourhoods to live, and is one of the richest districts.

Various greenery and gorgeous nature was scattered across the suburban area. There was a nice mixture of modern residences with that of Hutongs and Siheyuan. A place where typically the most wealthy beijingers would live.

Mao Lu breathed in the air, to him it felt a lot fresher. As he walked down the familiar streets he was hit with various waves of nostalgia. When Moa Lu was young his family used to live in Chaoyang Park district near Sun park, they lived in a Siheyuan hybrid house that had been in his father's family for generations upon generations. Mao Lu's ancestors had been loyal ministers or advisors to the royal family.

Fei Bing Bing and Zhao Detong's family homes were in a nearby neighbourhood and they used to always hang out together in Chaoyang.

When Mao Lu's paternal grandparents died when he was 13, his Father being the only child obviously inherited the entire property and other monetary assets that they'd left behind.

Three years later when the business went bankrupt his Father had put their family home as collateral. They ended up being evicted from the property, most of their belongings were audited, and as far as Moa Lu knew the local council now owned the property.

Siheyuans, like the one his family had owned, were priced in the millions. They were impressive heritage sites of China as Siheyuans dated back further than the Ming dynasty. The local council had bought the Siheyuan his family had owned and were using the more traditional buildings in the property as tourist attractions.

Mao Lu had promised himself that if he ever had the money he would buy back the property. So now he was on his way to the local council in Chaoyang. If it was before, he knew that even if he had the money the government may not be willing to give back such a cultural heritage site, and might possibly refuse to sell it to him, but now Mao Lu was a Gatekeeper.

From the impressive row of titles he'd inherited he was sure as Gatekeeper he had a higher status in society now. He should be able to reclaim the property he lost.

He lined up at the Chaoyang Government office. When he got to a desk he sat down and smiled brightly at the middle aged woman opposite him. She had spectacles on the end of her nose and her prematurely greying hair was tied up in a bun. On her desk a plaque read "Ms Zheng Yi, General Affairs".

"How can I help you today Sir?" Zheng Yi said in a monotonous tone.

"I've come today about a property that used to be owned by my family but was then purchased by the council eight years ago. I came today because I want to buy it back."

"What's your family name and the properties registration number. And do you have evidence of previous ownership?" Zheng Yi asked with an unchanging expression.

"Yes, yes I have it." Mao Lu rustled around in his bag and found the evidence and information she needed.

When Zheng Yi saw this she began tapping away on her computer.

"Your property was a Siheyuan dating back to the early Ming dynasty. The value of the property today is 175 million Chinese Yuan (RMB), 120 million RMB more than it was eight years ago. The price of Siheyuan properties have rapidly gone up in the market, especially properties like yours that are well maintained and in a district such as Chaoyang Park." Zheng Yi looked over her glasses at Mao Lu.

Mao Lu's smile didn't falter as he heard this. "The money isn't an issue."

Zheng Yi looked up and down at the young man in his blue jumpsuit. He didn't look rich but then again you couldn't judge wealth by clothes, some of the richest people looked like tramps. She'd read that on the internet recently.

"Well the property isn't just for sale at the moment, it is a heritage site and those in the cultural departments have ranked it as an A grade tourist attraction. I am not allowed to sell you the property unless the tourism and culture departments give the all clear. You can apply to the respective departments to allow this. If you want I will print off the forms for you, but it may not be approved and could take up to a year for these papers to be processed."

"So you're saying that even if I send an application, even if I wait a year you still might not allow me to buy back the property that previously belonged to my family." Mao Lu said calmly.

"Unless you have permission from the mayor of this district, Zhang Tiamin[1] or letter of authority from his offices then I can't sell you this property immediately, you will have to fill out the form." Zheng Yi didn't budge.

"Well then, can you call the offices of Zhang Tiamin so that I can get this permission."

Zheng Yi raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You want me to call the Chaoyang district mayoral offices directly!?"

"They will give me the permission." Mao Lu said with a confident smile.

This morning Mao Lu had reviewed the inheritance he'd gained from Baker. He had been given a large amount of titles, he was literally the advisor to all the heads of state. That meant he was a spin doctor, a shadow leader for the leaders of all the countries across Earth. This obviously included China and its leader Xi Jinping.

This proved to Mao Lu that the government, or at least those in high level positions in the governments across Earth, must be aware of Practitioners. If that was the case then that meant they should know he was the Gatekeeper.

Zheng Yi was surprised, this young man seemed very certain, like it was a fact. Was he someone of importance?

Zheng Yi only hesitated for a bit before she rang the mayoral office.

"Hello I'm Zheng Yi from General affairs. I have a young man here who would like to repurchase a property belonging to his family, however the property is now an A grade heritage site belonging the council. He claims he can get a letter of authority from the mayoral offices to purchase the property….his name is Zhang Lu, presently goes by Mao Lu."

She conversed with the person on the phone for a while.

"Do you have any special documents or reasons?" Zheng Yi looked at him

Mao Lu calmly stated, "Just tell them I am the Gatekeeper. If they don't understand then tell the Mayor directly. I'm sure he will understand."

Zheng Yi looked at the boy blankly but then recited the information to the person on the other end of the phone. "Gatekeeper what was a Gatekeeper?" she thought.

She was momentarily put on hold and was surprised when 2 minutes later the person on the phone came back and told her the permission was granted, the letter would be faxed over immediately. The person on the phone also ordered Zheng Yi to apologise to Mao Lu for the wait.

Zheng Yi was dumbfounded.

In seconds she got the letter. She apologized to Mao Lu for the wait as Mao Lu transferred her the money for the property, and she handed him the deed. It all took less than five minutes. They then both had to wait twenty minutes for someone to deliver the keys of the property which was handed to Mao Lu. Zheng Yi had never seen such a procedure go so smoothly.

She really wanted to ask what a Gatekeeper was, but the moment Mao Lu had got the keys he left immediately.

[1] Zhang Tiamin is the real district mayor of Chaoyang. Just because his name is Zhang and Mao Lu's paternal family name is Zhang, doesn't mean they are related.