The ULTIMATE EXPERIENCE SYSTEM
Chapter 54: DEMON KING

Chapter 54: DEMON KING

Ling Ling took a deep breath and stepped toward the now-stabilized evaluation device. The flickering magical sphere that had previously malfunctioned now glowed with a calm, steady pulse—reliable and precise.

She hesitated for only a heartbeat before pressing her hand to the orb.

A low hum vibrated through the chamber. Thin streams of pale blue light spiraled around her arm, scanning her mana signature, class resonance, and synchronization rate. The device pulsed once more.

DING!

[Rank Evaluation Complete]

Result: B-Rank Confirmed

Class: Necromancer (Intermediate Path)

Ling Ling’s shoulders dropped with visible relief as she let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Her lips curled into a proud smile.

"Yes... that’s what it showed back in the challenge realm," she murmured. "For a second, I thought I was losing my mind when it displayed C-rank earlier."

She turned to Chen Yu, her eyes softening. "Thank you. If it weren’t for you, I might’ve left thinking I was weaker than I really am."

Chen Yu gave a slight nod, unfazed. "It wasn’t your fault. The calibration was off—didn’t account for high affinity subclasses like yours. You just synced too well with your class type, and the machine couldn’t handle it."

Ling Ling tilted her head slightly, intrigued. "You fixed it in under five minutes. And your rank is S... with a hidden class? Just who are you, really?"

Chen Yu’s lips curled into a faint smile. "Just someone preparing for what’s coming. This world... it won’t stay the same for long."

Her expression turned serious. "You mean the merging of the worlds? The changes lately... they’re hard to ignore. The air feels heavier, like something’s pressing down on us."

"Exactly," he replied, his voice even. "When the barrier falls, everything will shift—humans, demons, spiritual beasts. Everyone will be forced to evolve... or be devoured."

Ling Ling glanced down at her hand, still glowing faintly from the evaluation. "Then... what should I do?"

"Get stronger," Chen Yu said simply. "Take your license. Build your foundation. When the time comes, I’ll reach out."

A small nod. "Alright. Then I’ll trust you, Chen Yu."

The way she said his name carried a new weight—respect, perhaps even admiration.

Ling Ling turned to the receptionist. "I’d like to issue my license now."

"Yes, of course!" the receptionist replied quickly, already typing away.

Chen Yu glanced toward the large, reinforced doors at the back of the hall, his gaze distant.

(One more ally... but I’ll need more. Stronger ones. Negotiations with the demon side won’t wait forever.)

As Ling Ling received her license, she turned back once more.

"If you ever need help—or someone to fight beside you—just call me. I may be a necromancer, but I don’t run from battle."

Chen Yu offered a slight nod. "Good. I’ll remember that."

Then, without fanfare, he turned and left.

Outside, the world shimmered around him as he activated the teleportation rune etched into his palm.

WHOOSH!

Reality twisted. The air changed.

When it stabilized, the blue skies of Earth had vanished—replaced by a blood-red horizon and twin moons looming in the sky. Jagged black mountains pierced the clouds, and the land beneath his feet was dry, cracked, and smelled faintly of sulfur and burning magic.

"So this is the Demon Realm..."

Chen Yu’s eyes narrowed, and he reached inward.

Skill Activated: [Lawrenderer’s Veil]

Effect: Complete stealth. Presence, sound, and aura concealed.

He vanished from view entirely.

"No unnecessary conflicts... not yet. I need to meet the Demon King first."

With practiced steps, he moved across the scorched plains. It didn’t take long for the Demon King’s fortress to come into view—a towering obsidian castle built into the side of a volcanic mountain. Jagged spires reached skyward like claws, and flickering purple flames danced along its outer walls.

Magical wards and patrolling sentinels pulsed with demonic energy, but none reacted to him.

Thanks to Lawrenderer’s Veil, he was undetectable.

He slipped past the gates and into the heart of the stronghold.

Inside, the castle teemed with activity. Lesser demons marched in tight formations while commanders barked orders. Succubi floated through the halls, carrying magical scrolls and whispering spells into glowing glyphs etched into the walls. Towering ogres stood still as runes were painted across their skin by scholar demons analyzing their resistance to various elements.

Chen Yu watched silently.

"This isn’t chaos," he muttered. "This is strategy. Discipline. They’re not preparing to invade—they’re preparing for survival."

Further in, he passed imps juggling soul orbs like toys, and a half-tree demon humming softly while saplings grew from its back, blooming with dark red flowers.

He descended deeper into the heart of the fortress until he reached a massive corridor lined with enchanted torches. At the far end stood a colossal door made of blackstone and bone, its surface etched with ancient demonic runes that glowed faintly with power.

"This must be it... the throne room."

Chen Yu stood still, studying the web of enchantments layered into the structure. Barriers for detection, soul binding, instantaneous destruction—everything screamed "no entry."

But he wasn’t planning to break through.

He would wait for the right moment... or create one.

Just as he began calculating his next move—

Creak...

The door began to part.

Black mist oozed through the widening gap. Whispers, unintelligible but ancient, danced through the air.

Chen Yu’s eyes sharpened.

They knew I was here? No... this isn’t a reaction. This is an invitation.

As the doors opened fully, a wave of pure, oppressive energy rushed out. The sheer force would have brought a lesser being to their knees.

But Chen Yu stood tall, unmoved. His system-granted experiences and defenses held firm.

Inside was a grand hall carved from bone and obsidian, lit by floating lanterns of cold blue fire. Massive pillars told the history of the Demon Realm through moving glyphs. At the far end, upon a throne of twisted black steel, sat the Demon King.

A monstrous figure, robed in crimson. Skin like ash, horns curved back like a dragon’s crown. Eyes that burned like molten lava. Beside him, an obsidian blade rested—silent, but radiating dread.

He leaned forward, chin on a clawed hand, a slight smile on his lips.

"It’s been a long time..." the Demon King said, his voice resonating like a drumbeat in a cavern. "Since someone dared enter this place uninvited. The last one came a hundred years ago. He didn’t leave."

Chen Yu dropped the veil.

His form shimmered into existence, his presence returning in full.

Lesser demons flinched.

"Then I must be either more foolish," Chen Yu said calmly, "or more prepared."

The Demon King chuckled darkly.

"Interesting. You hide well, human. Divine-class stealth magic, I assume. And yet... you reveal yourself now. Why?"

Chen Yu raised his gaze. "Because I’ve come to talk."

"Talk?" the Demon King’s tone was amused. "Most who come here beg. Some come to die."

"I’m not here for either. I came to negotiate."

The Demon King stood. His immense form towered over everything. A pulse of power cracked the stone beneath his throne before receding.

"You remind me of the old warlords—bold, reckless, but powerful. Why seek an alliance?"

Chen Yu answered without hesitation. "Because the orchestrator behind all of this wants chaos. I want peace—or the power to create it myself."

The Demon King studied him, then turned back to his throne and sat down slowly.

"Well said."

He gestured with one clawed hand.

"Very well, Chen Yu. Speak. You have five minutes... before I decide whether you’re a guest—"

His eyes flared with demonic power.

"—or my next meal."

Just then, I activated my system’s scan function to check the Demon King’s rank.

A soft hum echoed in my mind as glowing blue runes flickered across my vision.

A moment later, a chilling notification appeared.

[Rank: R]

"...What the hell?"

I blinked twice, but the display didn’t change. That letter—R—shone ominously, stark against the translucent interface. There was no mistake.

So it really existed... a rank beyond SSS.

I stood still, rooted to the spot. My thoughts raced, tumbling over each other like crashing waves.

All this time, I had thought SSS was the peak. A limit. But I was wrong.

This system—my system—had just revealed something terrifying.

Based on what I’d gathered so far, the rank progression wasn’t as simple or linear as I once assumed. There were stages hidden beyond what most people could even comprehend.

S → SS → SSS → SR → SRR → R → RR → RRR...

Each one a leap beyond the last. Not just in raw power, but in comprehension, authority, and domain over the laws of the world.

That meant my current rank—S—wasn’t even halfway up the mountain.

The Demon King... he wasn’t just stronger than me. He existed on an entirely different plane.

Like a mortal standing before a god.

I took a slow breath, then another. For a second, I could feel my own heartbeat pounding in my ears. The pressure in this room wasn’t just from his aura—it was the weight of knowing that one wrong word, one misstep, could mean instant annihilation.

I couldn’t let fear show. Not now. Not here.

He’s watching every flicker in my expression. Every hesitation.

I forced myself to breathe evenly. To let my heartbeat slow. Calm. Steady.

No sudden movements. No aggression. And absolutely no arrogance.

If I say the wrong thing... it might be the end.

This wasn’t a battlefield. Not yet. This was diplomacy under the blade.

I would have to choose every word carefully—deliberately, like stepping through a minefield blindfolded.

And yet, despite the crushing difference in power, a strange calm settled over me.

Because even if I stood before a being far beyond me...

...I came here by choice.

And I wouldn’t back down now.