The ULTIMATE EXPERIENCE SYSTEM
Chapter 53: LING LING

Chapter 53: LING LING

The grand doors of the Challenger Association slid open with a soft hiss as I stepped inside. Immediately, the sound of raised voices echoed across the sleek marble lobby.

"I’m telling you, I’m a B-rank! There has to be a mistake!" a sharp female voice yelled. "I took every test seriously, and you’re giving me a C-rank!? I swear, I’ll bring down this entire damn organization! My father works for the government!"

A young woman was arguing furiously with the receptionist. Her eyes blazed with defiance, and her dark purple robes—engraved with skeletal runes—hinted at her class: Necromancer.

The receptionist, clearly overwhelmed, noticed me the moment I entered. Her demeanor shifted instantly.

"S-Sir! Good afternoon!" she bowed deeply, rushing toward me. "We weren’t informed of your arrival. If we had known, we would have prepared—"

"Bring the manager," I interrupted calmly, eyes briefly flicking to the commotion. "Now."

"Yes, right away!"

Meanwhile, the girl arguing with the receptionist turned her head, narrowing her eyes at me.

’Who is he?’ she thought. ’Why is the staff treating him like royalty? Tch, probably some rich brat... Whatever.’

She chose to ignore me and went back to fuming.

Moments later, heavy footsteps echoed through the hall as a large, round man entered. He wore an expensive robe two sizes too small, and his belly jiggled with every step.

"Huh? What’s going on now? Why’s there another disturbance—"

Before he could finish, the receptionist quickly pointed toward the girl. "Sir, it’s not the young man. It’s her. She’s the one causing trouble."

As the manager’s eyes fell on the girl, a disgusting grin formed on his lips. His eyes scanned her up and down shamelessly.

"I see. I’ll deal with her first," he said, waving dismissively at me. "You can go, young man."

I took a step forward, my voice cool and sharp.

"Wait, fatty. Don’t you think you should apologize first—for your tone and your behavior?"

The man froze for a second... then scoffed and ignored me, continuing his approach to the girl.

"Hey, girl. Why’re you raising a ruckus over a mere rank? That’s no reason to throw a tantrum in my association," he said with false civility.

The girl snapped back, crossing her arms.

"Watch your tone, old man. I don’t care if you’re the manager. My father’s a high-ranking government official, and I’m not some random street rat. I came to get my Awakener license and my rank was clearly B. Now, after all the tests, you’re saying it’s C? Fix it."

The manager gave a theatrical sigh and then grinned slimily.

"Ohhh... I see what’s going on."

He stepped closer, then casually extended a hand toward her waist.

"Don’t worry. I can ’fix’ it. Come spend the night with me, and I’ll make you an A-rank tomorrow."

The air turned cold.

In an instant, the girl’s necromantic aura flared. Three skeletal warriors burst forth from shadowy portals and lunged at the fat man.

But the manager reacted swiftly. A golden radiance erupted around him as he activated his class—Holy Knight. His palm lit up with holy flames, and he struck forward with brutal efficiency.

Boom!

The skeletons shattered. The girl was thrown backward by the force of the impact, crashing into a pillar. She gasped, clutching her side in pain, blood trailing from her lips.

"Still acting tough?" the man sneered, stepping forward.

That was enough.

I stepped between them, my presence radiating like a silent storm.

"You’ve done enough," I said coldly.

The manager stopped mid-step, frowning. "What’s this? Are you trying to be a hero now?"

I looked down at the injured necromancer girl, then back at him.

"No," I said, my voice calm but filled with pressure. "I am your nightmare."

With a calm breath, I lifted my hand.

"Gravity Manipulation — 100x."

BOOM!

The air twisted violently. A crushing force descended like an invisible mountain. The fat manager’s knees buckled instantly, his face slamming into the marble floor with a sickening crack.

"AHHH! Mercy! Please!" he screamed, pinned and writhing like a worm. Blood oozed from his nose and mouth. "I’m sorry! Please, sir! Don’t kill me! I didn’t know—!"

I narrowed my eyes.

"That was your last mistake."

With a flick of my wrist, the pressure intensified for a split second. The man’s body twisted grotesquely before a sickening splatter marked the end of his filth. Blood painted the tiles crimson.

Then, with a gentle sweep of my hand, a breeze swept through the room—cleaning every trace of the scene. The floor sparkled once again as if nothing had happened.

I turned to the wide-eyed receptionist.

"Get this girl treated. Now."

But before the receptionist could move, the injured girl staggered to her feet, pulling out a glowing potion from her satchel. She downed it swiftly, and the gashes across her body began to close.

"It’s okay... I’ve got a healing potion," she said, brushing dust off her robes. Then, she looked at me with clear, respectful eyes. "Thank you for helping me. My name is Ling Ling. May I know yours, sir?"

I studied her for a moment—her firm stance despite the pain, her sharp gaze that didn’t lower even after witnessing a life taken in front of her.

"Chen Yu," I said plainly. "Owner of this association... and every company that backs it."

Her eyes widened.

’The owner...?’

Suddenly, the man standing before her felt different—like someone far above the chaos she had been entangled in. Her heart skipped a beat. His calm, commanding presence... the way he had crushed the corrupt manager without a shred of hesitation—it all struck a chord.

Ling Ling’s face flushed slightly as her voice softened.

"I-I’m sorry for the trouble I caused... but I really believe there’s a problem with your rank evaluation system."

I raised a brow. "Explain."

She nodded and spoke quickly. "While in the Challenge Realm, I cleared five trials. At that time, the system displayed my rank as B. But when I came here today to receive my Awakener license, the testing facility marked me as C-rank. There’s either a miscalculation or a flaw in the tools."

I looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. I’ll personally have your rank reassessed—through a higher-grade system. You’ve earned that much."

Ling Ling blinked in surprise. "You’d do that for me?"

I smirked faintly. "You’re not just anyone. A necromancer clearing five challenges alone? That already sets you apart. But more importantly, I hate incompetence... and corruption."

She lowered her head slightly, hiding her smile.

’Chen Yu... You really are different...’

After a brief pause, I turned to the receptionist.

"Take me to the rank evaluation room."

"Yes, sir!" she replied immediately and led the way.

Ling Ling followed behind me, curious. "You’re going to check your own rank?"

I nodded. "It’s been a while since I used this kind of device. Might as well test its accuracy before fixing yours."

The room was spacious, sleek, and lined with various advanced instruments glowing faintly with arcane circuitry. In the center stood a tall black crystal connected to mechanical runes—a Rank Evaluation Device developed by early awakeners with the [Craftsman] trait.

"It’s considered the most stable method for now," the receptionist explained nervously. "But... since it’s still new, there have been some inconsistencies."

I placed my hand on the crystal.

The machine hummed. Symbols whirled around me. The crystal glowed dimly at first—then surged violently with golden light.

DING!

Rank Evaluation Complete

Result: A+ Rank Detected

"...A+?" Ling Ling blinked, confused. "But earlier, you... didn’t you say—?"

I withdrew my hand calmly.

"That’s wrong," I muttered. "My real rank is S."

Ling Ling was stunned. "Wait, you’re saying the machine can’t even properly read someone like you?"

I didn’t answer her directly.

Instead, I mentally activated the system.

"System, give me 100 years of crafting experience. Allocate it to artifact construction, rune mechanics, and spiritual tech."

DING!

[Experience Consumption Confirmed: 100 Years]

[Crafting Path (Advanced): Integrated]

[You have unlocked: Rune Engineering, Artifact Resonance, Diagnostic Insight]

A flood of knowledge poured into my mind. Intricate schematics, energy flow theories, frequency calibration techniques—all of it clicked into place like I had been doing this for a century.

I knelt beside the evaluation device and placed my hand on the control panel. My fingers moved rapidly, tracing symbols and manipulating the runes that powered its core.

Ling Ling watched, wide-eyed. "You... know how to fix it?"

"No," I said coolly. "I just mastered the art."

Ten minutes passed in near silence as the room pulsed with faint blue light. The device’s core opened like a blooming flower, revealing misaligned energy channels and an unstable formation matrix.

"Crude construction," I muttered. "No resonance shielding... no adaptive buffer... It’s amazing this thing even functions."

With a flick of my wrist, I summoned pure law energy and etched new stabilizing runes onto the base. Threads of golden light danced across the surface, reshaping the machine into something more refined.

Finally, I stood.

"Try now."

The receptionist hesitated. "Y-You’ve already altered the original design..."

"Don’t worry. It’s better than before."

Reluctantly, she activated the device again. The glow was smoother this time. Harmonized. No surges or flickers.

I placed my hand once more.

DING!

Rank Evaluation Complete

Result: S-Rank Detected

Unique Class Signature Identified: Lawrenderer

Ling Ling gasped softly.

"S-Rank... And a hidden class too?" Her voice held a mix of awe and disbelief. "No wonder you crushed that manager like a bug..."

I turned to her. "Your turn. Let’s see what this new version tells us about you."

Ling Ling nodded, suddenly more nervous than before.

But now... the real evaluations could begin.