My Life Changed with the Unlimited System

Ethan was startled when the familiar chime of the system sounded in his mind, bringing with it a new mission. The glowing panel appeared before him, crisp and clear.

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[Mission: Protect the Humans from Demons] Stay connected with empire

Objective: Ensure the safety of the humans from the approaching demon threat.

Reward:

1. 7,500 EXP

2. 15 Ascension Points

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Ethan stared at the mission window, the words pressing heavily on him. Protect humans. Prevent harm. As noble as it sounded, the reality was daunting.

Besides, no memory restoration reward. 'I guess it will not be easy.'

Elias, Celia, and Marie had been talking about these demons for the past hour—their ranks, their strength. Lower Knight Demons were apparently stronger than anything he could currently handle.

And yet here was the system, handing him this responsibility like it was just another tutorial level. 'Or does the system sense another threat at his level?'

He glanced at the others. Marie's expression had darkened as she looked toward the distant horizon, her voice unusually grave. "Make that ten more demons. Lower Soldier Demons—they're coming through the gate now. And those five Lower Knight Demons? They're headed straight for the village."

Ethan's assumption was right. The system sensed it earlier. But still, Lower Soldier Demons? From what he knew from the Status Panel, he was not at that rank yet.

Elias, sensing the surge before anyone else, was already on the move. He had that unshakable calm again, like the eye of a storm, but Ethan wasn't fooled.

Celia broke the silence, barking out instructions like a seasoned commander. "Ethan, listen up! Move a hundred meters that way." She pointed sharply, her finger steady as a blade. "You'll find the humans there. Protect them, no matter what."

Ethan swallowed hard, clutching the gun Celia had thrust into his hands earlier. "Protect them... from demons?" His voice cracked slightly. He wasn't sure if he was asking Celia, the system, or himself.

"Yes, demons," Celia shot back, already running. "What part of that didn't you understand? Now go!"

As the others darted ahead, Ethan hesitated for a heartbeat, gripping the gun tightly and looking at the bullets. It was created from Elias's Ascendant Energy.

The earlier flash of memory—the way his hands knew what to do—flared up again, accompanied by a faint whisper of something else.

"Ascendant Energy..." He muttered the words under his breath, rolling them around as though they were puzzle pieces. 'I've heard this before.'

But where? And when? His head throbbed, a fog of forgotten memories swirling just out of reach. It was maddening, this feeling of knowing something deeply while being unable to grasp it.

"Great," he muttered to himself. "Nothing like a massive existential crisis in the middle of a demon invasion."

A loud bang jolted him from his thoughts. It was Celia, firing into the distance to draw the attention of something he couldn't see yet. Ethan realized he had no time for inner turmoil. He had a job to do.

"Alright," he said, steadying his breath. "Let's see if I can do this."

Ethan sprinted in the direction Celia had pointed. Every step felt heavier, not just from the weight of the gun in his hand but from the weight of the unknown ahead.

He had no idea what he would face when he reached the humans—or if he'd even survive—but he knew one thing for certain; running away wasn't an option.

The distance of a hundred meters was not far for an Ascendant. For Ethan, the ground beneath him blurred as his newfound speed carried him forward.

His heart pounded in rhythm with his steps, a mix of adrenaline and dread propelling him closer to the source of danger. Within moments, he arrived at a small clearing, the scene unfolding before him like something from a nightmare.

They were hikers—a group of seven dressed in bright, cheerful jackets and heavy boots. Ordinary people who had likely come to this forest seeking the thrill of adventure, perhaps even a moment of peace amidst nature. Now, that peace was shattered.

The humans stood frozen, trembling so hard that even from his position, Ethan could see the uncontrollable quivering of their limbs. Their faces were pale, wide-eyed, and contorted in sheer terror. Ethan followed their gaze and immediately understood why.

The demons stood in a loose semi-circle, their humanoid forms distorted by grotesque features that set them apart from anything remotely human.

Their eyes glowed with an eerie, unnatural light—some golden, some blood-red, and others a sickly green. Horns curled and twisted from their foreheads, their grotesque shapes as varied as they were terrifying.

Their tails lashed behind them, snake-like and unnervingly alive, while their scaled skin shimmered like armor under the dappled sunlight filtering through the trees.

Each demon was a different color as if painted in malevolent hues of chaos—black as obsidian, fiery red, venomous green, and a deep blue that seemed to absorb the light around it.

Their movements were unnaturally smooth, exuding a predatory grace that made them seem more dangerous than any wild animal.

The hikers clung to each other, some clutching useless hiking poles, others too paralyzed to even cry out. One woman was visibly weeping, her sobs muffled by the hand she pressed against her mouth.

A man in a bright orange jacket whispered a frantic prayer, though his trembling voice made it sound more like a plea for mercy.

Ethan's stomach twisted at the sight. These weren't seasoned fighters or thrill-seekers expecting danger—they were ordinary people, hopelessly outmatched and moments away from annihilation.

And then, there were the demons. Ten of them. Each of their hulking forms radiated malice, their piercing eyes scanning their prey with an almost predatory hunger.

Ethan swallowed hard. His earlier bravado felt like a distant memory as he took in the sheer power of the creatures before him. This wasn't a video game, and the odds weren't in his favor. Ten demons against one Ethan? It wasn't a battle; it was a massacre waiting to happen.

Still, he had the gun Celia had given him, loaded with Elias's Ascendant Energy bullets. And he wasn't the same person he'd been a day ago. His speed had been enhanced, his tactical firearms skill had come alive within him, and the system had already pushed him into this mission.

'I have to do this.' He steadied himself, forcing his breath to slow.

He crouched low, the weight of the gun in his hand both comforting and daunting. He could feel the hikers' desperate hope and the demons' looming threat pressing down on him, two opposing forces colliding in his chest.

"Alright," he muttered under his breath, his voice steadier than he expected. "Time to see if I can live up to the system's faith in me."

Ethan took aim. This wasn't just about courage—it was about survival. For the hikers. For him. And for the first time, he felt the flicker of belief that maybe, just maybe, he could do this.

Ethan's breath hitched as he steadied his grip on the gun, the cold metal grounding him in the chaos. The demons were closing in on the hikers, their guttural growls rumbling like thunder through the clearing.

One of them, a towering creature with gleaming black scales and horns that curved like a ram's, snarled as it reached for a trembling man who clutched a useless hiking pole.

'Not today,' Ethan thought, his jaw tightening.

He exhaled slowly, aimed, and squeezed the trigger. The bullet, infused with Elias's Ascendant Energy, streaked through the air like a comet. It struck true—a clean headshot.

The demon's grotesque skull shattered, exploding into a spray of dark, oily ichor. The creature dropped like a marionette with its strings cut, crumpling lifeless to the ground.

The clearing fell into stunned silence for a moment. Then chaos erupted.

The remaining demons whipped their heads around, their glowing eyes locking onto Ethan.

One hissed, its forked tongue flicking menacingly. "Human filth dares to strike us?"

Ethan didn't answer. There wasn't time. The demons scattered, their movements unnervingly fluid as they regrouped like predators cornering prey.

The hikers screamed and scrambled to the edges of the clearing, their terror magnified by the sight of the bloodied demon corpse at Ethan's feet.

"You're mine!" roared a demon with crimson scales, lunging at Ethan with claws extended like jagged blades.

Ethan moved instinctively, his enhanced speed kicking in. He ducked low, feeling the air shift as the demon's claws missed him by mere inches. In a flash, he pivoted on his heel, the world slowing as his skill took over. His arm swung upward, and he pressed the barrel of the gun to the back of the demon's head.

"Guess you should've stayed in hell or wherever you came from," Ethan muttered, pulling the trigger.

The shot was deafening, and the demon's head exploded in a burst of black and red. Its body collapsed, lifeless, before it could hit the ground.

The remaining eight demons hissed in unison, their eyes narrowing. "This one is fast," one growled, its voice a guttural snarl. "But speed won't save him for long."

Ethan wasn't listening. His focus was razor-sharp, his movements fluid and deliberate. He dove to the side as another demon charged, firing two shots mid-roll.

Both bullets found their mark, piercing the creature's chest and tearing through its scaled hide. It staggered, gurgling, before collapsing in a heap.

A demon with green, venomous-looking scales leaped toward Ethan, its tail lashing like a whip. Ethan sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the strike, and spun around. The motion brought him face-to-face with the creature. It snarled, opening its maw to reveal rows of razor-sharp teeth.

"Not today," Ethan said through gritted teeth. He raised his gun and fired three rapid shots. The bullets ripped through the demon's throat, silencing it forever.

The hikers watched in wide-eyed amazement, their terror giving way to something like hope. "He's actually fighting them," one of them whispered, his voice trembling. "Who's he?"

But Ethan had no time to revel in their awe. Two demons attacked simultaneously—one from the left and one from the right. Ethan ducked low, sliding between them in a move that surprised even him.

As he slid, he aimed upward, firing a shot that tore through one demon's chest. He spun to his feet, firing again and hitting the second demon square in the eye.

"Impossible!" shrieked a smaller demon with blue scales. "How can a mere human—"

Ethan cut it off with a single, precise shot to the head.

The remaining three demons hesitated, their confidence visibly shaken. "He's no ordinary human," one muttered, its glowing eyes flicking nervously between Ethan and the hikers. "He's… something else."

Ethan squared his shoulders, his breaths coming fast but steady. "You're starting to get it," he said, his voice low but firm. "Now, are you going to run, or do I have to finish this?"

The demons didn't respond with words. One of them roared in defiance, charging at Ethan with claws outstretched. But Ethan was ready. He sidestepped the attack, grabbed the demon's arm, and used its momentum to slam it into the ground. Before it could recover, he fired a shot point-blank into its head.

The last two demons hesitated for a fraction of a second before charging together. Ethan leaped backward, firing as he moved. The first demon fell with a bullet through its chest. The second managed to reach him, swiping wildly with its claws.

Ethan ducked under the swing and, in one fluid motion, brought the barrel of his gun under its chin.

"Too slow," he said, firing the final shot. The demon's head snapped back, and it collapsed in a heap.

The clearing fell silent except for the hikers' ragged breathing and Ethan's own pounding heartbeat. He stood amidst the carnage, his body trembling with adrenaline and exhaustion. The hikers stared at him, their expressions a mix of fear and awe.

"Are… are they all gone?" one of them finally asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ethan nodded, lowering the gun. "For now. But we need to move. More could come."

As the hikers scrambled to their feet, Ethan allowed himself a brief moment of triumph. He had done it. Against impossible odds, he had protected them. But as he looked at the lifeless bodies of the demons, he was worried more would come.

Author's Note:

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