The ULTIMATE EXPERIENCE SYSTEM
Chapter 87: GU CHAEWON

Chapter 87: GU CHAEWON

The morning sun of Neo-Terra painted the sky in strange hues—violet streaks from the Spirit Realm, soft gold from Earth, and a dull crimson glow that had carried over from the Demon World. The merged skies above Chen Yu’s mansion were breathtaking... but he had no time to admire them.

He sat in his study, a massive table before him completely buried in towering stacks of documents. Each folder carried detailed profiles of B- and A-rank challengers—potential candidates for ascension to the upper realm.

At the center of the table, a smaller pile stood out: profiles with distinctive symbols marking them as originating from the newly integrated Beast and Demon Kingdoms.

Chen Yu leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowed with quiet approval.

"Hmph... She even managed to gather intelligence on the other kingdoms’ elites."

His fingers drummed against the wood. "Meiyun, you really don’t disappoint."

He swept his gaze over the hundreds of pages. Names, photos, skill summaries, combat histories. Some profiles contained scribbled notes from Meiyun—sharp observations about the candidates’ temperaments or hidden talents.

The sheer volume of information would have overwhelmed anyone else. But Chen Yu’s eyes moved methodically, calculating, eliminating weak prospects with a single glance. He flipped through page after page, until—

⏳ AN HOUR LATER

Chen Yu’s hand paused, fingertips resting on a single sheet that stood out from the rest. His gaze lingered on the candidate’s details. A slow, satisfied smile crossed his face.

"This one... I’ll take her," he murmured.

[Candidate File – Selected]

Name: Gu Chaewon

Class: Holy Priest

Rank: A

Background: Granddaughter of the Gu Group’s CEO; the Gu Group is one of the largest conglomerates in China, with business interests spread across Neo-Terra’s continents.

Chen Yu tapped the page thoughtfully.

"Gu Chaewon... so she’s backed by one of the world’s richest and most influential families," he mused aloud.

He set the file down. "Connections, resources, and a Holy Priest class—capable of advanced healing and, after class advancement, divine offensive abilities. Perfect."

He leaned back in his chair, eyes briefly closing.

A healer is indispensable for the upper realm. And someone with influence like hers... could stabilize alliances among humans, demons, and beasts alike.

He glanced back at the table. A second pile, neatly sorted, contained the best candidates from the Beast and Demon Kingdoms. He had already marked one name from each.

"Now... one more from the demon side, and one from the beasts," he thought, his mind moving several steps ahead. "We need representatives from every race if we want to show the upper realm we’re not fractured."

He folded Gu Chaewon’s profile carefully and slipped it into a sleek, black folder—marked with his personal seal.

"I’ll meet her today," he decided, voice firm with quiet authority. "Convincing her will be easy... or challenging, depending on how much she knows of this new world."

Chen Yu rose from his seat, his eyes catching the shifting light of the new dawn through his study’s tall windows.

Neo-Terra... Day 2, and the game has already begun.

He pressed the communicator on his desk. "Meiyun, come to my room."

Within moments, Meiyun entered, her footsteps soundless as she stepped across the polished floor. Her expression was unreadable, but her eyes glinted with curiosity.

"I’ve made my choice," Chen Yu said, voice calm but decisive. "Gu Chaewon. Where is she now?"

Meiyun’s eyebrow arched slightly, but she said nothing at first, conjuring a holographic console into the air. Her fingers tapped rapidly across the floating keys. "As expected of you... picking the granddaughter of the Gu Group’s CEO." She paused, eyes narrowing at the live data feeds. "Wait... let me confirm her current status."

A tense silence filled the room.

After a minute, Meiyun’s eyes snapped to Chen’s. "A new anomaly zone opened in southern China recently. She entered it about thirty minutes ago—and hasn’t emerged."

Chen Yu’s gaze sharpened. "Understood. I’ll scout her myself."

Meiyun’s eyes widened. "You’re going personally?" Her voice held a hint of unease—and something else, something warmer. "That anomaly zone... do you realize what will happen when you step inside?"

Chen Yu smirked faintly, eyes glinting with cold light. "Yes. The anomaly’s difficulty matches the highest-ranked challenger present. Chaewon is A-rank, so the zone’s monsters are currently A-rank. But once I enter..." His eyes hardened further. "It will escalate to SRR-rank difficulty instantly."

Meiyun looked at him like he was insane. "You’d risk putting her into an SRR-level zone?"

Chen Yu turned away, cloak shifting with a whisper. "If she can’t handle a taste of what awaits in the upper realm, she’s not worthy of joining me."

Before Meiyun could argue further, space folded in on itself with a low hum—and Chen Yu vanished, teleporting directly to the anomaly’s entrance.

ANOMALY ZONE – SOUTHERN CHINA

The moment Chen Yu arrived, the world shifted. The anomaly’s twisted forest shuddered as mana surged violently, reacting to the SRR-ranked intruder. Trees warped into nightmarish forms, black spines sprouting from trunks. The air thickened, heavy with killing intent. In seconds, every creature inside the anomaly mutated—power skyrocketing to match SRR-level threats.

As expected, Chen Yu thought, stepping forward as the ground itself pulsed like a living thing. The zone’s difficulty just spiked from A to SRR.

INSIDE THE ANOMALY ZONE – GU CHAEWON’S PARTY

Four challengers stood tense in a small clearing, breathing raggedly. At their center, Gu Chaewon radiated cold precision—her white armor streaked with blood, her golden staff glowing as she rapidly cast buffs and heals.

A massive orc loomed over them, its muscles bulging with unnatural strength. Blood dripped from its blade.

"Chaewon! Buff me—I’ll kill it now!" shouted the swordsman, desperation crackling in his voice.

She started chanting, but before the spell finished, the orc moved. Faster than any A-rank creature should. Its blade cleaved through the air—a flash of red and silver. The swordsman’s head flew from his shoulders, landing with a dull thud.

Screams erupted.

The orc snarled, its power magnified tenfold by the anomaly’s new SRR-level setting. Chaewon’s heart pounded as she realized the horrifying truth: The monsters... they’re getting stronger... impossible...

One challenger stumbled back, eyes wild with terror. Another shouted, "This zone’s gone mad! The orc’s supposed to be A-rank!"

"This is suicide—run!" yelled the third, shoving past Chaewon.

"No!" Chaewon called, voice cracking. "Stay together—I can keep you alive—!"

But they fled, panic overtaking reason. One by one, they vanished into the shadows, leaving her alone.

The orc advanced with terrifying speed, red eyes blazing. It roared and swung—Chaewon raised a shimmering shield, but the impact blasted her backward, shattering the barrier instantly. She crashed into two trees, bones rattling, blood filling her mouth.

That... almost killed me, she thought, gasping. If not for this armor, I’d already be dead... Grandpa... I’m sorry...

She looked up just as the orc’s blade came down again—aimed for her exposed neck.

THE ARRIVAL

But the blade never touched her.

A deep hum rippled through the air. A figure in a black coat stood in front of her, hand casually extended. The massive sword hovered in place, inches from her throat—frozen mid-swing as if time itself refused to let it continue.

The orc’s crimson eyes widened in confusion.

Chen Yu’s eyes were cold as the void. His voice was quiet, deadly calm. "That’s enough."

He flicked his wrist—and space twisted violently. The orc disintegrated into black motes, scattered like ash on the wind.

Silence fell across the forest. The only sound was Chaewon’s ragged breathing.

THE MEETING

Chen Yu turned slowly, eyes locking onto Chaewon’s wide, stunned gaze. "Gu Chaewon, Holy Priest, granddaughter of the Gu Group’s CEO. You did well to survive this long."

She struggled upright, leaning heavily against a shattered tree. "Who... are you?" she whispered, voice trembling. "What did you do...?"

Chen Yu stepped forward, the eerie light of the warped sky glinting off his eyes. "I am the one who will lead those worthy to the upper realm. I came to see whether you could handle the reality of what’s coming."

Her eyes burned with defiance even as fear flickered beneath. "And... did I pass your test?"

Chen Yu’s gaze softened—just slightly. "You held your ground when others fled. That’s more than enough."

Chen Yu stepped closer, his eyes locked onto hers, unflinching. "Do you want to become strong?" he asked quietly, his voice low but carrying through the silent, twisted forest.

Gu Chaewon’s breath caught in her throat. His words were simple, but something in his tone cut through her exhaustion and pain, stirring something deep inside her—a flicker of hope, or maybe fear.

Before she could respond, a soft, almost imperceptible ripple of energy spread from Chen Yu’s hand. A warm, golden light enveloped her. She felt the searing pain in her ribs ease, the bruises vanish, the torn muscles knit back together in moments. The gash on her arm closed without leaving so much as a scar.

Her eyes widened, disbelief flashing across her normally composed features. "How... how can you heal this fast? Faster than I can, even as a Holy Priest..."

Chen Yu didn’t blink. His eyes, dark and deep as the abyss, held hers unwaveringly. "That’s something you don’t need to know," he said coolly, his voice like steel wrapped in velvet. "What matters now is your answer—will you accept me as your master?"

She clenched her fists, her pale face flushed with emotion. Her icy demeanor returned as quickly as it had cracked. "I don’t know how you killed that orc," she said, voice calm but sharp as a blade, "but I don’t accept anyone as my master... unless they prove beyond doubt that they’re strong enough to deserve it."

For a moment, the forest seemed to hold its breath.

Then Chen Yu’s lips curved into the faintest hint of a smile—one that never reached his eyes.

"Then I’ll show you," he murmured, his aura flaring subtly, enough to make the warped trees shudder and the air itself hum with raw, oppressive power.

Gu Chaewon’s breath hitched again, but she didn’t back down. Her eyes glowed faintly with her own resolve as she stared up at him. "Prove it."