My Life Changed with the Unlimited System

Elias stopped in his tracks, his gaze distant as he seemed to weigh his words carefully. The soft crunch of their footsteps on the path faded into silence as the group paused, waiting for him to speak.

Finally, he exhaled and said, "Fifty years ago, the gates trembled violently, far more than we'd ever seen before. And from them came six demons."

Ethan's attention sharpened instantly. Though he said nothing, his expression spoke volumes. He leaned slightly forward, eager for every word.

Elias continued, his voice steady but somber. "These demons weren't like the ones we've faced before. They were much stronger—far stronger. One of them could rival Richard in power, or so we believe."

The others were stunned because, based on what Elias had shared with them until now, Richard—or Captain Cole—could be considered the strongest Ascendant ever.

Without addressing their curiosity, Elias went on, "The other five were comparable in strength to me, Tanner, and Mara."

Ethan's thoughts raced. Based on Elias's own tales, he was one of the three strongest Ascendants in the world. And yet, here he was, describing demons who matched him—and one who matched Richard. The implications were staggering.

Marie broke the silence with a soft whistle, her tone carrying a mix of awe and disbelief. "That sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. Then what?"

Celia remained quiet, her sharp gaze fixed on Elias. Though she said nothing, the slight tilt of her head betrayed her interest in what came next.

Elias took a deep breath, his shoulders tensing slightly as he recalled the memory. "Richard… He was still strong. Stronger than I think any of us truly understood. He didn't seem fazed, not at all. But we all thought we knew his limits, believed we'd seen everything he was capable of."

He paused, his voice lowering. "Turns out we were wrong."

Elias's expression softened with a mix of humor and nostalgia as he continued. "The truth is," he began, "Richard wanted to see how strong the three of us had become. Against those demons, he took it as an opportunity to test us—to push us to our limits and guide us as we fought."

Ethan's eyes widened slightly, his intrigue deepening. Marie leaned in closer, her curiosity clear, while Celia remained quiet, though her sharp gaze remained locked on Elias.

"He didn't just fight his opponent," Elias explained, his voice carrying a faint chuckle. "While battling the strongest of the six, Richard had the nerve to look around and shout pointers at us. Things like, 'Tanner, stop charging recklessly! Use your flames to block their movements!' or 'Mara, anticipate the earth's flow, don't just react!'"

Marie blinked in disbelief. "Wait, you're telling me he was giving out advice while fighting a demon on par with him? That's insane."

Elias laughed, the sound tinged with amusement. "Oh, it was more than insane. It riled those demons up like nothing else. I mean, think about it—how would you feel if your opponent wasn't taking you seriously enough to give lessons during a life-or-death battle?"

He shook his head, a glint of humor in his eyes. "Prideful creatures, those demons. I could almost hear their thoughts: 'How dare this human treat us like a training exercise?' But that was Richard. He was always that way, always turning every fight into an opportunity to teach."

Ethan couldn't help but crack a small smile at the mental image. Even he could feel the weight of pride those demons must have carried, and to see it shattered like that would've been a sight to behold.

Elias's tone grew more reflective as he continued. "In the end, we emerged victorious. Bloodied, battered, but victorious. Tanner was grumbling about his burns. Mara was exhausted, leaning on her spear. And me…" He shrugged lightly, his smile sheepish. "Let's just say I wasn't in much better shape."

Marie smirked. "Let me guess—Richard looked like he hadn't even broken a sweat?"

Elias chuckled. "Oh, he was just as bloodied as the rest of us. But he didn't seem to be tired at all. He sat us down, there on the battlefield, blood still dripping from his sword, and said he had one final lesson to impart before he left."

The air grew heavy with the weight of the memory. Ethan's brow furrowed as he processed the statement while Celia's lips pressed into a thin line, her curiosity sharpening.

"Before he left?" Marie echoed. "Left for where?"

Elias sighed, his voice lowering. "For his next mission."

That was what they were eager to know. Elias had mentioned that the mission was what changed everything.

Elias continued, "Of course, the three of us argued with him. We begged him to take at least one of us along. Tanner was especially insistent—he said he'd earned the right to stand by Richard's side. Mara wasn't far behind, trying to reason with him that we could handle anything together."

Celia tilted her head slightly. "And he said no?"

Elias nodded, a faint trace of sorrow flickering across his face. "He said no. He told us this mission was tasked to him alone. That among the rules of the mission, he needed to face it without any assistance."

Ethan frowned, a question forming in his mind, but he held back, waiting for Elias to continue.

Marie tilted her head, her brow furrowed with curiosity. "What kind of mission?" she asked, her tone carrying a hint of unease. "And... who tasked it to him?"

"For the mission, I believe you can guess its purpose, but the identity of the person who assigned it to Richard remains unanswered," replied Elias.

Celia's sharp gaze remained fixed on Elias. Her voice, though quieter than usual, cut through the air like a blade. "Don't tell me… It's what I'm thinking."

Elias met her eyes and nodded gravely. "Yes, Celia. What you're thinking is correct."

Marie gasped softly, her hands clenching into fists. "You don't mean—"

"I do," Elias interrupted, his voice steady but weighted with emotion. "Richard's mission was to venture into the Demon World itself—through the Demon Gate."

"Why?" Marie asked, her voice trembling slightly. "Why would he go there? Alone?"

Elias exhaled slowly, his gaze distant as he seemed to replay the memory in his mind. "Richard never shared all the details with us. But he believed that the only way to stop the demons from pouring into our world was to destroy their anchor—the very thing keeping the Demon Gate stable."

Celia crossed her arms, her expression dark. "And he thought he could do that alone? Even after what we'd seen, after everything we'd fought?"

"He didn't just think he could do it," Elias said softly. "He knew he had to. The mission wasn't something he could refuse, nor could he share it with anyone. Whoever gave him his strength also gave him this task."

Ethan's mind latched onto that last statement. Who might that be? Could it be similar to his system? He remained quiet, but his thoughts churned, trying to piece together the connections.

Marie's voice wavered as she asked, "And… did he ever come back?"

Elias's face hardened, his eyes shadowed by a deep sadness. "No. Richard went through the Demon Gate fifty years ago… and we've never seen him since."

Elias observed everyone and said, "However, the number of demons emerging from the gate has significantly decreased, except for today."

The silence that followed was deafening. Even the night seemed to grow colder, the weight of Elias's words pressing heavily on all of them.

***

The living room in the modest yet comfortable home was unusually tense. The faint hum of the city outside provided a distant backdrop. Still, the air inside was thick with worry and anticipation.

Elise sat on the edge of the couch, her hands clenched tightly together, her knuckles pale. Beside her was Jessica, her expression calm but with a flicker of unease in her eyes.

She had been a constant presence for the past week, offering what little comfort she could as the family grappled with Ethan's unexplained absence.

Across from them, Lucan sat with a straight back, his presence commanding yet subdued. His sharp features were shadowed by the dim light of the living room.

Standing just behind him were Rhea and Axel, their imposing figures giving off a quiet but unmistakable aura of strength and readiness.

Jessica broke the silence, her voice steady but tinged with a sharp edge. "Lucan, maybe it's time you tell the truth now. They deserve to know."

Lucan exhaled deeply, his broad shoulders rising and falling. He had been preparing for this moment, but even so, the words were heavy on his tongue. Before he could speak, Aaron, sitting beside Elise, leaned forward, his voice quiet but firm.

"Lucan, please," Aaron said, his gaze locked onto the man's face. "Tell us what really happened to Ethan. My wife and I… we can take whatever you have to say. Just don't leave us in the dark anymore."

Lucan nodded slowly, his expression solemn. "Alright," he began, his voice low but resolute. "When Ethan stepped into the world of the elites, he drew a lot of attention. It wasn't just admiration, though. Some envied him."

Aaron's brows furrowed slightly. Elise tensed, her grip on Jessica's hand tightening.

"Envy?" Aaron asked, his tone cautious. "From whom?"

Lucan hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "From the Great Families," he said simply.

Aaron's brows knit together in confusion. "The Great Families? I've never heard of them."

Lucan's eyes narrowed slightly, his voice steady as he explained. "That's because they don't want to be known—not by people outside their world. The Great Families are the ones who control everything. They dominate the industries, hold sway over governments, and ensure their influence extends across cities like Novan City and beyond."

Aaron's jaw tightened. "Are these families political powers? Or just the wealthiest elites?"

Lucan shook his head. "They're more than that. Far more than that. They're… different. They're people with superhuman powers."

Aaron scoffed lightly, but there was a trace of unease in his expression. "Please, Lucan. Be serious."

Lucan met Aaron's skeptical gaze, his tone becoming serious. "I am serious, Aaron. Remember the days of the old empires, where not only the armies were strong, but the rulers themselves were also exceedingly powerful."

Both Aaron and Elise gazed at Lucan, trying to comprehend everything he had just said. Lucan then added, "Believe me or not, those things still exist even in modern times."

Aaron leaned back slightly, his breath catching. He glanced at Elise, whose face was pale but determined. Deep down, something stirred in Aaron's mind—a faint memory of childhood stories, tales of his ancestor who had been called a "super warrior."

At the time, he had dismissed them as exaggerated family legends, something told to stoke pride in their lineage. But now, those tales resurfaced, tinged with an uncomfortable plausibility.

"You can't mean that," Aaron said quietly, though the words lacked conviction.

Lucan's voice softened, but his resolve was unshaken. "I know it's hard to believe. But it's not. The world is far more complex than what most people see. And the reason I'm telling you this is because of Ethan's disappearance… it's tied to that world. To those powers."
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Elise, who had been silent up to this point, suddenly leaned forward, her voice cracking slightly. "Lucan, please. Enough of the explanations. Just tell us what really happened to our son."

Lucan's gaze flickered to her, and for the first time, a faint hint of sorrow broke through his composed exterior. He took another deep breath, steadying himself to deliver the truth.

Lucan's eyes darkened as he looked at Elise, the weight of the situation etched on his face. "Ethan was… teleported away," he said, his voice steady but carrying an undeniable gravity. "I know it sounds ridiculously hard to believe.

He then added, "It happened when he was trying to rescue a family—one of his staff's family members, to be exact. They had been abducted by a Great Family."

Elise gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. "Why would Ethan do that?" she asked, her voice trembling. "He's not… he's not someone capable of doing such a thing. He's just a boy. Why didn't anyone stop him?"

Aaron, however, had fallen into a thoughtful silence. His gaze dropped to the floor for a moment before he spoke, his voice calm yet questioning. "Lucan… are you trying to tell me that Ethan is also… a superhuman?"

The room fell into a heavy silence, broken only by the faint ticking of a nearby clock. Rhea and Axel, who had been standing behind Lucan, exchanged a brief glance but remained quiet.

Author's Note

Hey everyone,

Sorry for going quiet the past few days. I ended up in the hospital for a bit, which wasn't exactly part of the plan. Nothing too serious, but it kept me from writing and updating as usual.

I'm feeling much better now and ready to get back on track with regular updates. Thanks so much for your patience and understanding—it really means a lot.

Let's get back to the story, shall we?

Cheers,

Noah Caelum