The ULTIMATE EXPERIENCE SYSTEM-Chapter 43: THE CRIMSON DEMON GENERAL

The portal shimmered like burning glass, its crimson light pulsing with barely restrained heat. Each ripple twisted the space ahead, radiating heat like a forge’s breath. I stepped through, exhaling slowly as the world reassembled around me.

In my past life, I had only cleared the first challenge. I remembered the fear. The confusion. The helplessness.

Now, six trials down—and still moving forward.

But this one felt different.

The moment I landed, an oppressive wave of heat hit me like a furnace. The ground was cracked obsidian, glowing with molten veins that pulsed like a living creature’s heartbeat. The sky above twisted with red-black clouds, churning in unnatural patterns. Static filled the air. Something ancient stirred beneath the surface.

Then I saw it.

Standing still, as though it had been waiting, was a nightmare carved from hellfire.

A demon.

Eight feet tall. Muscles like armor plates beneath skin the color of dried blood. Horns curved back from its skull, jagged and scorched. Its eyes were twin pits of lava. It gripped a massive obsidian axe, etched with runes that glowed and flickered like fire trapped in stone.

The system’s mechanical chime echoed in my ears.

[Crimson Demon – General Rank]

[Challenge 7 – Objective:]

Defeat the Crimson Demon General.

Condition: Class skills disabled.

Time Limit: None.

Additional Rule: Lawrender Locked. No law manipulation permitted.

I blinked slowly. "...You’ve got to be kidding me."

No class skills. No passive boosts. No Law Rewrite. No bending the rules.

Just me—stripped to the core.

But then, another message appeared.

[Weapon Slot: Mystical Viper Sniper (S-Rank)]

A grin tugged at my lips.

Now this was interesting.

The Mystical Viper Sniper—S-rank. A weapon I had obtained during the very first challenge. A reward hidden behind a near-impossible kill. It wasn’t just rare—it was legendary.

A sleek, semi-sentient sniper rifle that adjusted to wind, movement, gravity, and even mana distortion. Its bullets were infused with venomous energy that disrupted mana flow and chewed through magical defenses like acid.

But it had a catch.

The recoil was brutal. And it only came with three rounds before requiring a lengthy cooldown.

No room for mistakes.

I slung it off my back. The sniper shimmered with violet-blue veins along its sleek, dark chassis. It felt warm—almost alive—as if it recognized the danger ahead.

The demon’s gaze shifted. It let out a guttural growl, low and deep.

Then it charged.

I didn’t hesitate.

Dropped to one knee.

Lined up the shot.

BOOM!

The recoil tore through my right shoulder like a hammer. I felt bone shift, something give way. But I kept my grip steady.

The bullet roared forward like a serpent of light and venom.

Bang!

Direct hit—square in the chest.

Smoke erupted.

But when it cleared, the demon was still standing.

Scorched. Bleeding.

Still alive.

And now, furious.

Of course.

Its roar tore through the sky. It raised its axe and hurled it at me like a meteor.

I rolled left—barely dodging.

The axe struck the ground with explosive force, shattering the earth and flinging me backward. My back slammed into a jagged spike of stone, knocking the breath from my lungs.

One shot down.

Two left.

I grit my teeth, bolted the rifle, and rolled to my feet. Blood dripped from my fingers.

The demon didn’t wait. It moved again—zigzagging. Smarter now. It had learned from the first shot.

I exhaled. Tracked its movement.

Fired.

BOOM!

The second round struck its left leg, blowing a chunk of flesh away. The demon stumbled—let out a scream of raw pain that shook the very air.

But it didn’t stop.

It moved faster.

Then—it jumped.

I barely saw it coming.

CRASH!

The axe landed where I had stood a second ago. The entire field quaked.

I hit the ground hard, adrenaline and pain clashing in my chest.

One round left.

I couldn’t miss.

The venom in the first two rounds was working. Its movements were slower now—just barely. But enough.

I forced myself up, muscles screaming.

Then ran.

Not away—but toward a cluster of jagged terrain. A narrow trench cut across the battlefield—probably formed during an earlier strike.

I dove into it, crawling through black stone and glass, dragging the sniper behind me.

Climbed up the other side.

High ground.

Perfect.

I turned, positioned the rifle, and waited.

The demon came crashing through the trench like a berserker—slower, yes, but no less deadly. Its eyes locked onto me.

It leapt again.

That was the moment.

Mid-air.

No ground to maneuver. No way to dodge.

I pulled the trigger.

BOOM.

The final round roared from the barrel, trailing a violet streak through the air like a comet.

CRACK!

Right through the mouth—out the back of the skull.

Its body twisted, spiraled mid-air, then crashed into the earth with an earth-shaking impact.

Flames sputtered. Its axe dissolved into black mist. The molten glow in its eyes faded.

Dead.

I didn’t move for several seconds. Couldn’t.

The sniper slipped from my numb fingers.

My body was on fire. Shoulder dislocated. Ribs cracked. Hands shredded.

But I was alive.

And I had won.

The system didn’t delay.

[Ding! Challenge 7 Complete.]

[Reward: +6 Awakening Points. Current Total: 21]

[Special Reward Unlocked: New System Function – Attributes]

I stared at the messages, blinking through the pain and blood.

Attributes?

No explanation came. Just a new icon blinking in the corner of my vision—faint, unobtrusive. Waiting.

A door. Locked—for now.

But the challenge was over.

And I was still standing.

I had no idea what came next.

But I knew one thing for sure.

I wasn’t done.

And neither was the system.

The wind howled across the scorched battlefield as I stood over the demon’s corpse. Smoke curled from the cracks in the obsidian ground, and my breath came in short, burning gulps.

But my eyes were already on the next step.

The portal shimmered ahead—sleek, silver now, no longer crimson. It pulsed with quiet energy, like a heartbeat waiting to sync with mine.

Challenge 8.

Two more after that.

Just two.

In my past life, I never came close.

But now...

Now I had the Mystical Viper Sniper, battle-tested and bonded.

I had twenty-one Awakening Points.

And I had something new—a mysterious, locked function blinking at the edge of my vision. "Attributes."

No explanation. No guidance. But I knew it was important. The system didn’t hand out gifts. Not without meaning.

I rolled my shoulder, pain flaring from the recoil damage earlier. Even with that, my spine straightened. My grip on the sniper tightened.

I wasn’t backing down.

Not now.

Not ever.

I took a single step forward.

Then another.

The portal loomed large, like the mouth of a beast waiting to devour me.

But I didn’t hesitate.

I stepped through.