My Life Changed with the Unlimited System

Ethan stumbled forward as the portal spat him out a second too late.

He caught himself on the edge of his desk, steadying his breath.

He looked around, blinking. "Am I really back?"

It was his study room. Same shelves. Same clutter. Same curtain fluttering under the slow spin of the ceiling fan.

Yeah, he was home.

The portal behind him shimmered once and vanished in silence, leaving only the usual morning stillness.

Ethan stood up straight and let out a long breath.

Everything looked untouched. His books were still on the shelf. The chair was half-turned like he had just left it. Sunlight poured in gently through the window.

He was lucky the return didn't shatter half the room.

Still feeling a little off-balance, he walked over to the window and pulled the curtain aside.

The neighborhood outside was peaceful. The sky was a soft gold, and somewhere in the distance, a dog barked once, then quieted.

Ethan narrowed his eyes and let the calm sink in.

'At least nothing went wrong while I was away.'

He then paused. He needed an answer for the most crucial question.

'How long I had been away?'

He took his phone and saw that it was still the same day he had left. The time? It was four hours.

'I see. A day there equals an hour here.'

Just then, he could see message notifications. It was from Jordan.

Jordan: [Come to this location. Wait there. I'll explain later.]

Jordan: [Click to view location.]

Ethan frowned. No greeting. No explanation. Just coordinates and its location.

"What now?" he muttered.

He tapped the location link, which opened a map showing somewhere near the city center. Not far—but something about the message felt off.

He called Jordan immediately. It rang a few times… then went to voicemail.

"Jordan, I need you to call me back," Ethan said, keeping it short. He hung up, lips pressed tight.

He tried to shake the unease, but it didn't go away.

"What is happening, really?"

On instinct, he called Jessica next.

No answer. Straight to voicemail.

He stared at the screen for a moment, frowning.

Two people couldn't be reached at the same time? That couldn't be a coincidence.

He walked to the window again, trying to clear his head. Then, he scrolled through his contacts and tapped David's number.

David picked up on the second ring, his voice as cheerful as always.

"Morning, Ethan. What's up?"

"Hey, David," Ethan said, trying to sound normal. "Have Jordan or Jessica come in yet?"

"Not yet. Besides, it is till too early," David replied. "Why, something wrong?"

Ethan hesitated. He didn't want to cause panic just yet.

"No, it's nothing urgent," he said. "I just might be late coming in today."

There was a short pause. Then David chuckled. "Ethan, come on. It's your company. You make the rules."

Ethan let out a quiet laugh. "Yeah, yeah. Force of habit."

"Well, let me know if anything comes up," David said. "I'll give you a shout if they show."

"Thanks," Ethan replied. "Appreciate it."

He ended the call, but the tight feeling in his chest didn't ease.

He didn't like this.

Jordan might be impulsive, sure—but not like this. And Jessica… her family, her recent silence, that situation with Donald—too many variables, none of them good.

He glanced back at the message, memorizing the pinned location.

"Alright. I'm going," he said under his breath. "I'll find them myself."

Whatever this was, he needed answers.

And he needed them now.

***

Jordan and Jessica arrived at the edge of the city, standing before an old warehouse that looked like it hadn't seen maintenance in years.

The building was worn down, surrounded by cracked pavement and piles of rusted metal. It looked exactly like the kind of place where things went wrong.

Jessica stood still, gripping her bag tightly. Her knuckles were white.

"This place feels wrong," Jordan said under his breath, glancing around. "We shouldn't be here."

Jessica didn't answer right away. Her expression was pale, but steady.

"We don't have a choice. My father's inside."

Jordan looked at her, then back at the building.

"I get that," he said quietly, "but this feels like a trap. Donald doesn't exactly play fair."

Jessica swallowed hard and nodded, but said nothing else. Her eyes stayed on the warehouse ahead.

The taxi that brought them slowly pulled away, leaving them in silence.

Neither of them noticed the figure watching from the rooftops nearby.

"What are they up to?" Steve had been tailing them since early morning, the moment they left the hotel without telling anyone.

They hadn't taken one of Nova Tech's vehicles. No messages. No calls. Just a quiet escape in a random taxi.

That alone was enough for Steve to follow.

From above, he moved like a shadow. He was quick, precise, and completely unnoticed.

Being a Four-Star Ascendant meant he could move faster, jump higher, and remain hidden even in broad daylight.

He followed them across rooftops and alleyways, keeping his distance but never losing sight.

Now, he crouched on a building across from the warehouse, eyes focused. His instincts were screaming.

This wasn't just a family issue. It was something else. Something worse.

Steve's jaw tightened. He had been tasked with watching over Jessica and her family. But this... this was spiraling fast.

And knowing how close Jessica was to Ethan, Steve could already see how this mess would bleed into his life too.

"Reckless," he muttered under his breath. "But I'll keep her safe. No matter what."

Just then, the warehouse door creaked open.

A man stepped out. He was thin, sharp-faced, with messy hair and a twisted smirk. His green eyes scanned the area like a hawk.

It was Verran, one of the hired Ascendants of Donald.

Jordan tensed the moment he saw him. He didn't need to guess. The aura alone made his skin crawl.

Verran tilted his head, smirking wider as he gestured for them to enter.

"Well, well. Look who showed up," he drawled. "Come on in, lovebirds. Donald's been waiting."

Jordan clenched his fists, every part of him screaming to leave. But then he glanced at Jessica. She looked scared, but she wasn't backing away.

"I have to settle this no matter what," she whispered.

Jordan exhaled and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"Stay close to me," he said firmly. "We'll face this together."

They walked forward together. The warehouse door hung open behind them, but the heavy feeling pressing on their shoulders made it feel like it was already closed.

Steve watched from above, his body tense. The moment Verran had stepped out, he felt it. The chaotic, and sharp energy.

A Lower Four-Star Ascendant. Not weak by any means.

Steve himself was at Middle Four-Star. He could take Verran if needed. But things didn't stop there.

Inside the warehouse, he sensed two more Ascendants.

One was steady, like solid stone. Also a Third-Star, but at the lower end. Just like Verran.

But the other one… he was dangerous.

Fiery, aggressive, and strong. A Middle Four-Star just like him.

Steve narrowed his eyes.

"Three Ascendants," he muttered. "This isn't a conversation. It's a setup."

He stayed low, running through every possible scenario in his mind. A direct fight would be messy and risky. But leaving Jordan and Jessica alone in there wasn't an option.

He clenched his fists. "Ethan should have killed Donald the other day."

Whatever was waiting inside that warehouse, he was ready.

And if things turned ugly, he would strike fast, before it was too late.