The ULTIMATE EXPERIENCE SYSTEM
Chapter 48: THE MERGING AND THE BEAST

Chapter 48: THE MERGING AND THE BEAST

One month later...

Only one minute left.

I sat alone in my study, the digital clock on the wall ticking louder than usual.

00:00:59

00:00:58

00:00:57...

The countdown had begun.

In less than sixty seconds, the world would change—forever.

A new sky would descend, two foreign planets would merge with ours. The Demonic Realm and the Spirit Beast World... were coming.

The demons would be the strongest. Ruthless, cunning, destructive. But they weren’t foolish. They knew diplomacy had value.

The spirit beasts were more adaptable. They would become the bridge—the key to coexistence. And through them, humans would begin forming contracts. Power in exchange for bond. Survival through alliance.

I exhaled slowly.

At least... this time, I wasn’t clueless. I wasn’t weak. I didn’t need to scramble for survival like before.

I had laid the foundation already.

The Challenger Association.

It had started just 15 days ago, but now, there were over 100 branches across China’s major cities. The rapid expansion wasn’t a miracle—it was strategy, timing, and experience.

My experience.

The very first thing I did after returning to Earth a month ago was simple:

I locked myself in a room and forced my mind to recover everything from my past life—every name, every event, every tragedy. I wrote down blueprints, lists, and names. And on the top of one list... was a single name:

John Aldrich.

In my past life, he had been the most influential businessman of the Calamity Era. The man behind the rise of global guilds. He founded the original Challenger Organization and controlled a dozen major proxy guilds worldwide—though no one knew that until much later.

Including me.

I’d fought under one of his proxy guilds near the end of my previous life, right before my death.

This time... I contacted him first.

A Few Weeks Ago – Flashback

I had sent the encrypted message through three layers of dark web firewalls. Not long after, I received a call.

His voice was smooth, aristocratic. British.

"Chen Yu, isn’t it? What a curious proposal. You claim to know the future?"

"Not exactly. Let’s just say I’m... exceptionally informed."

"Mm. You suggested forming a global-tier guild infrastructure. Guild registration, challenger ranking, equipment licensing. And you want funding?"

"I want partnership. You have money. I have knowledge. You want influence. I’ll hand it to you on a silver platter."

He was silent for a moment.

"You remind me of someone. Dangerous. Brilliant."

"I’m not here to threaten the world, John. I’m here to lead it."

"Hah. Very well then, Chen Yu. The royal family isn’t stupid. We’ll back your Challenger Association in Asia. But I want 40% stake in international expansions."

"Deal."

That was the beginning.

John’s wealth—combined with my future knowledge—was unstoppable.

Present – 00:00:04...

I glanced at the window. The stars above had shifted. Colors that didn’t belong to Earth shimmered in the sky. A haunting aurora spread across the clouds—blood-red and violet.

It had begun.

The merging of worlds.

But unlike before, I wasn’t caught off guard.

Now, I had a vast organization under my name.

Now, I had influence.

Now, I had power.

A knock came on the door. Meiyun entered, tablet in hand. "The last government delegation from Yunnan just signed the deal. All of China is now officially partnered with the Challenger Association."

I smiled faintly. "Good. We’ll need their support once the sky falls."

"It already is," she whispered, looking out the window.

The stars... were moving.

I stood up.

"Call a global meeting of branch leaders. We start recruitment tomorrow. Every awakened, every capable—rank them, assign them, and prepare to train them."

Meiyun nodded. "And what about you?"

"I’m going to meet an old friend," I said.

And then—it happened.

The sky cracked with thunder, the earth rumbled like a beast waking from slumber, and in the next moment... chaos.

My communicator buzzed nonstop. Sirens blared outside. I turned on the TV. Every channel—every single one—was showing the same breaking news.

"Global Emergency: Earth’s Geography Transformed!"

The news anchor’s face was pale. Behind her, holographic maps flickered with red zones and strange territories.

"Breaking update—Earth has expanded by nearly four times its original size. Vast new lands have emerged—mountain ranges that pierce the clouds, oceans never charted before, and biomes filled with creatures never seen in human history. Reports confirm the appearance of demonic entities and beasts of unknown origin. Martial law is being considered. Please stay indoors and await further instruction—"

I muted the screen.

None of this was surprising to me.

I knew this was coming.

The true start of the Calamity.

But as the world trembled in fear, I sat in silence, thinking about one person. A man I had never truly met in my past life—but whose actions had changed everything.

I pulled out my private satellite phone.

The number I dialed wasn’t in any database. Not even the Challenger Association had it.

After two rings, someone picked up.

"Hello?" a young, alert voice answered.

"Is this Roman?" I asked calmly.

There was a pause.

"Yes... who’s speaking?"

I didn’t answer immediately. I let the silence settle for a few seconds before I spoke.

"Roman. I know who you are. I know what you’re capable of. And I know what your future holds."

"...Who the hell are you?"

I chuckled softly.

"Too soon to meet. But that time will come."

"Wait, what? Where are you? Who—"

"I’m in China," I said, cutting him off. "And when we meet... everything will change. But for now, stay put. The world needs to descend a little further into madness before the right people can rise from it."

"You’re insane—"

"Maybe," I said, smiling faintly. "Or maybe I just know the game better than anyone else."

Click.

I ended the call.

No names. No history. Not yet.

There was too much to do.

I turned back toward the window, watching the violet skies ripple with interdimensional light. Somewhere across the world, demons were awakening. Spirit beasts were forming their first bonds. Humanity... was stepping into an age of gods and monsters.

And I?

I had already taken my first step long before any of them.

The first thing I wanted to do—no, needed to do—was form a pact with a spiritual beast.

And I already had one in mind.

I stepped out of the mansion.

The world outside was cloaked in darkness. Not just the night, but a silence—a tension—that hung in the air like a storm waiting to break. My barrier still covered the estate, shielding it from the chaotic energy surging through the transformed Earth.

I took a deep breath and activated one of my class-exclusive powers.

Lawrenderer—Worldwarp.

A ripple of light enveloped me, and in the next instant, I vanished.

When I opened my eyes, I stood at the edge of a small, unremarkable village nestled deep in the wild regions. But looks could be deceiving. This wasn’t an ordinary place.

I was no longer in human form.

Using Lawrenderer’s Illusory Domain, I had disguised myself as a spiritual beast—an outer-clan hybrid of sorts. The energy signature I now emitted wouldn’t alarm the others.

This place... was where the newly-arrived spiritual beasts had begun gathering.

It wasn’t just humans who went through the trials.

They had too.

And just like us, they were struggling to make sense of this foreign land, holding hushed meetings under moonlit skies, testing their powers, forging alliances, whispering of the Calamity.

I stayed hidden among the shadows of the trees as I moved deeper into the village, my eyes scanning the mingling beasts. Most were cautious, their auras tense. They didn’t trust one another yet. And they definitely wouldn’t trust a human.

But I wasn’t here for them.

I was here for him.

The heir.

The last living descendant of the royal bloodline of beasts.

Centuries ago, his lineage ruled with unmatched might. But greed and betrayal shattered their dynasty. His uncle, hungry for the throne, led a coup that ended in bloodshed. The royal palace was reduced to ruins, and the bloodline was thought to be extinguished.

Everyone believed the royal heir died that night.

Everyone but me.

I spotted him.

Hidden in plain sight—cloaked in ragged fur, crouched in an alley, half-covered in mud. To the common eye, he looked like a starving beast—a mutt with no lineage, just another lost soul in this strange, expanding world.

But I knew better.

He had awakened.

And he had already cleared five levels—faster than any other beast ever recorded.

Even now, he kept his identity hidden, playing the part of a broken wanderer. But behind those quiet eyes was a storm. A storm that would one day shake the foundations of the beast realm.

And now, he needed power.

Power I could give him.

I stepped forward from the shadows, my presence no longer hidden. The other beasts nearby stirred, sensing my aura. But I ignored them.

My eyes were locked on him.

"You’ve hidden long enough, haven’t you?" I said, my voice calm, but clear.

The beast lifted his gaze slowly, his golden eyes narrowing slightly. There was intelligence there. Deep and ancient. He didn’t speak—but he was listening.

"You know who you are," I continued. "You know what you’re destined for. But power alone won’t bring you justice. It won’t restore your throne. You need something more."

He didn’t respond. But his body tensed.

Good.

"I came here not to command you," I said, taking another step. "But to offer a pact."

His head tilted slightly, and the faintest flicker of interest passed through his eyes.

"You’ll get your power. Your revenge. Your legacy. In return... you’ll fight beside me."

The silence between us stretched for a heartbeat longer.

Then—

He stood.

And the filthy cloak fell from his body, revealing not a beggar...

But a beast with dormant majesty.

A being on the brink of awakening.

His voice was hoarse, deep, ancient. "What’s your name, stranger?"

I smiled.

"Chen Yu."