The ULTIMATE EXPERIENCE SYSTEM
Chapter 71: SEASON 2 CH 1 THE CALM BEFORE THE CHAOS

Chapter 71: SEASON 2 CH 1 THE CALM BEFORE THE CHAOS

Six days.

That’s all the time left before the walls between species crumble... before demons, beasts, and who-knows-what-else pour into the human realm.

Yet on the surface, Earth still looked deceptively normal.

The sky was blue, the cities still standing, and people continued with their daily lives. But beneath that thin veil of normalcy, the world was already changing—shifting toward something far darker.

Since the emergence of the Challenge System, everything had been thrown off balance.

In just a few weeks, the world’s structure had collapsed. Governments lost their grip. Politicians, bureaucrats, and old-money elites were now nothing more than noise.

Power was the only currency.

The people with money were no longer in control—the people with power were. Whether it was through natural strength, awakened skills, or system-enhanced abilities, they now stood at the top of society.

Small towns became fortresses. Cities fractured into territories ruled by dominant players. Gang violence evolved into faction wars. And even ordinary citizens had begun fighting in the streets, desperate to climb the system’s invisible ladder.

Crimes surged. Murders went unsolved. Trials didn’t matter anymore. The only "justice" was strength.

And yet...

Even in the middle of this chaos, there was one anchor of stability—the Challenger Association.

Founded through my direction, with Meiyun overseeing its management, it stood as a neutral organization that offered shelter, quests, ranked duels, and monster clearance missions.

While many doubted it in the beginning, the Association quickly grew in influence. We used our money, connections, and power to establish a system of checks and balances—keeping the worst of the chaos at bay.

But I knew this peace wouldn’t last long. It was borrowed time.

The world was moving toward bloodshed. The walls that separated humans from other species would dissolve in just a few more days.

And I wasn’t ready.

I sat quietly on the rooftop of the Association’s main branch, watching the wind whip through the clouds. I felt it—the tension in the air, the shift in energy. It was almost like the world itself was anticipating something.

Suddenly, my system screen popped up.

[Host Reminder: 6 Days Left Until Dimensional Collapse]

It is advised that the Host grows stronger quickly. Stats function is currently locked. Conditions met: Visit to "Anomaly Zone" will unlock the Stat Interface.

My eyes narrowed.

Anomaly Zone.

Yes... I remembered now.

In my past life, this place didn’t appear until much later, and even then, it was treated as a suicide zone. Strange monsters unlike any dungeon or beast area crawled inside, and none followed the system’s known rules.

But I remembered something even more important:

The Anomaly Zone is in Human Earth.

It’s not bound by inter-species laws. That means—

"I can kill and level up there... without triggering species war penalties."

A grin tugged at the corners of my lips.

In this life, that place hasn’t been discovered yet. Which means, if I go there now—I’ll be ahead of everyone by at least two major stages.

And more importantly, I’ll unlock the Stat Interface.

Once I unlock the Stat Interface, my attributes—Strength, Mana, Spirit, Stamina, Agility—will finally have actual numeric values.

It’s not just for show. Numbers matter in this world.

The path from S to SS, then SS to SSS, and then to SR isn’t just about collecting power. It’s about refining your core, molding your identity, and choosing your advancement path carefully.

And once you hit SR?

Your class disappears.

That’s the terrifying—and exciting—part.

Your class is replaced by something far greater. Something deeper than a title or a skill tree. It’s called your Second Awakening.

Every awakened being becomes something new entirely, something beyond traditional limits.

I frowned.

In most cases, this Second Awakening brings power no one expects.

But in my case?

That’s the strange part. My class—Lawrenderer—is already a mutated, hidden class. So what will happen when I undergo Second Awakening? Will it vanish? Or will something more ancient take its place?

There’s no precedent. No memory from my past life to rely on. Nothing but instinct and speculation.

That’s why I need to level up—and do it fast.

I stood up from the rooftop, glancing out over the city. People were walking below. Some normal. Some awakened. All trying to survive in this new version of Earth.

And despite the crimes, the fights, the rising chaos...

There was still hope.

People like Meiyun, who were creating new order out of the mess. People like Roman and Vornark, training day and night to grow stronger. Ruxue, mastering her flames. Hui’er, who had gone to the Demon Kingdom to push past her limits.

And me?

I was heading toward the Anomaly Zone—a cursed, forgotten place with monsters that didn’t obey any rule, where death was as common as breathing.

But that’s fine.

Because if I want to reach the top...

If I want to face whatever is behind the system...

If I want to control my own fate...

Then I need more than a powerful class.

I need my stats.

I need my awakening.

I need to be one step ahead.

And that starts now.

"It’s time to kill some monsters."

With that whisper under my breath, I activated my teleportation.

The world around me twisted in an instant—colors stretched, the air warped—and then silence. I arrived at the outskirts of Mumbai, India.

In my past life, India was the only country that had access to the Anomaly Zone before the walls between worlds fell. No one knew why this place existed—some called it a crack in reality, others believed it was an artificial construct created by ancient beings. All I knew was that it was hell, wrapped in the skin of Earth.

After the great collapse in my past life, high-ranking humans flocked here in desperation. Some came seeking power, others to escape. Most never returned.

But this time—this life—I arrived before anyone else. This was my opportunity.

As I appeared near the outer edges of the city, people noticed me.

"Hey, look over there!"

"A Challenger—he seems powerful!"

"Wait... is he flying?"

Phones came up, flashes blinked. The crowd started murmuring, a mix of awe and fear in their voices. I quickly cloaked my presence, concealing my aura, and moved away—slipping through narrow alleyways and over rooftops like a shadow.

I made my way toward a long-forgotten industrial district, filled with broken roads and collapsed buildings. My footsteps echoed as I passed rusted pipes, torn wires, and shattered glass. It was quiet. Too quiet. The kind of silence that made your heartbeat louder than usual.

Then I saw it.

An old, half-demolished building stood in the distance—gray, cracked, and surrounded by weeds. It didn’t look like much... but I knew.

"This is it."

I stepped through the hollow entrance, the broken door creaking behind me. Dust clouded the air. Faint traces of energy pulsed beneath the surface, old and mysterious. I reached the center of the ground floor—and then slammed my fist into the concrete.

CRACK!

The entire floor trembled before a piece of it collapsed, revealing a hidden underground passage.

I dropped down without hesitation. The moment my feet touched the floor below, a metallic door materialized before me, glowing faintly with eerie blue veins. As I stepped forward, a familiar chime echoed in my mind.

[System Notification]

Would you like to enter the Anomaly Zone?

A smirk tugged at my lips.

"Yes."

The door opened—and in the blink of an eye, the world changed.

The sky above me was a pitch-black void, stretching endlessly. There were no stars, no moon—just darkness. A vast jungle sprawled ahead, but nothing was green. Every tree was withered and twisted, with blackened leaves and thorns. The soil was cracked, bleeding a thick, inky fluid that reeked of death.

This... was Anomaly Zone Level 1.

"The stronger the zone level, the greater the rewards," I muttered, scanning my surroundings. "And the higher the level, the higher the monsters."

But before I could take another step, a rustling sound drew my attention.

Out from the nearby bushes came a tiny squirrel-like creature, its fur soft and gray, large eyes blinking innocently.

"Cute..." I murmured. "But I know better."

Its body quivered—and then it transformed. Spines erupted from its back, its jaw split open revealing serrated teeth, and its eyes turned blood-red.

[Name: Toothed Rabbit | Rank: C]

It lunged at me with terrifying speed, aiming for my throat.

I didn’t move.

With a flick of my fingers, I activated Gravity Manipulation. The air shimmered, and the beast was instantly crushed mid-air, bones snapping like twigs. Blood splattered across the blackened ground as its mangled body slammed into the earth.

[You have killed: Toothed Rabbit (C-Rank)]

EXP Gained: 100

[Progress: 100 / 1,000,000]

My eyes widened slightly.

"A million experience to reach the next level?"

In my past life, I never got this far. I had only heard rumors about the Anomaly Zone’s experience mechanics. But now that I saw it for myself, I understood the grind would be brutal.

But then I smiled.

"Good thing I remember the value system."

I recalled the chart buried deep in my past memories:

C-Rank Beast = 100 EXPB-Rank Beast = 1,000 EXPA-Rank Beast = 5,000 EXPS-Rank Beast = 10,000 EXPSS-Rank Beast = 50,000 EXPSSS-Rank Beast = 100,000 EXPSR-Rank Beast = 500,000 EXP

"At this rate," I whispered, "I’ll need to clear out Level 1 quickly and find a way to access Level 2."

But I wasn’t worried.

This zone was my advantage. In this timeline, it’s still undiscovered. No one else knows where it is. And until the walls break in six days, no other species can interfere.

That means I can grind freely—no competition, no interruptions.

Just me, monsters, and the endless promise of power.

I cracked my knuckles, eyes gleaming in the darkness.

"I’ll farm every single creature in this damned jungle if I have to."

With a clear mind and a burning ambition, I began walking deeper into the cursed jungle of the Anomaly Zone. My aura surged with excitement and battlelust.

This was just the beginning.

Let the massacre begin.