My Life Changed with the Unlimited System

The white walls of the hospital felt strangely calm, a world apart from the chaos they had just come from.

Steve lay in bed, surrounded by machines and quiet beeping. His frame was big as ever, but the bandages on his chest, the sling on his arm, and the bruises on his face made him look more human than usual.

Even so, his eyes still carried that fire.

Maya sat nearby, dressed in a dark jacket. She looked a little better than before—less drained, more composed. The pain was still there in her eyes, but now it was mixed with resolve.

Luciano stood against the wall with his arms crossed. He looked relaxed, but his eyes were sharp and always watching.

"How's Jordan?" Steve asked, voice calm but heavy. "He's okay, right?"

Maya looked toward the door, like she was hoping someone would walk in.

"He's still in a coma," she said softly. "Lost a lot of blood. The doctors say it's a miracle he even survived."

Steve let out a slow sigh, his jaw tightening for a moment. "That kid… tougher than he looks."

Maya gave a faint smile. She hesitated, then spoke again.

"Mark told me something before," she said.

Both Steve and Luciano turned toward her.

"He said Jordan had something inside him. Some kind of potential… but not as strong as Ethan's."

Steve raised his eyebrows. "You mean, Jordan might become an Ascendant too?"

Maya nodded. "That's what Mark believed. But he never got to guide him. He said Ethan's growth was more urgent."

Steve leaned back. "If that's true, Jordan should be okay. Maybe this whole thing might even trigger something."

Luciano chimed in. "Then maybe I should bring him along. Let him awaken that potential."

No one said anything right away.

They all knew what could happen if things went wrong.

The room went quiet for a while. Thoughts hung in the air, too heavy to say out loud.

Then Luciano spoke again, breaking the silence. "And you? How are you doing?"

Steve gave a dry laugh. "I'm still breathing, thanks to Ethan. That kid came out of nowhere and handled everything."

Maya frowned. "That's what I wanted to ask. How in the world did he—"

Steve raised a hand. "We'll get to that. But first, you need to know what we're dealing with."

He shifted slightly, wincing as he moved.

"Lucien LaRue. You've heard the stories. Everyone says he's a rising star in the LaRue family. Flashy. Low Three-Star. Not much of a threat."

Maya nodded slowly. "That's what our reports say. A show-off with a big ego."

Steve's expression hardened. "The reports are wrong."

Luciano narrowed his eyes. "Explain."

Steve exhaled. "That pill he took. The silver one. It changed everything. Gave him a boost I didn't expect. He went from a low Three-Star to someone at my level. Maybe more."

Maya's eyes widened. "Your level? Steve, you're a Middle Four-Star Ascendant. That's not a small jump."

"I know," Steve said firmly. "But it happened. His strength, his speed… It wasn't just technique. It felt unnatural. Like something else was fueling him."

Luciano uncrossed his arms and stepped forward. His presence alone made the room feel heavier, the quiet force of a High Four-Star Bronze Ascendant filling the space.

"Are you saying that pill pushed him up an entire rank or more?" Luciano asked. His voice was calm, but the disbelief was clear.

Steve nodded. "That's exactly what I'm saying. It didn't just give him a boost. It changed him. For a few minutes… he felt unstoppable."

Maya leaned forward slightly, her brow furrowed. "But that shouldn't even be possible. Enhancements like that usually come with side effects. No one just jumps a full rank, especially not mid-fight. How did he manage to keep up with you?"

Steve let out a breath. "He didn't just keep up. He pushed me back. Every strike I landed, he returned it harder. If Ethan hadn't stepped in when he did, I don't think I'd be here."

Maya sat back in her chair, arms crossed tightly. Her face was pale.

"This changes everything," she said quietly. "If the LaRues have figured out how to create something like that… they're not just building stronger soldiers. They're turning them into monsters."

Luciano's jaw clenched. "And if they start handing those pills out to their troops… even a few enhanced fighters could wipe out entire squads. If a handful of them leap ranks like Lucien did, we're looking at a slaughter."

"It's worse than that." Steve's voice dropped. "Lucien was losing control. The power he got wasn't stable. It was raw and wild. He was breaking apart while he fought."

Maya looked down, her hands tightening into fists.

"Then we can't just storm in and try to save Mark," she said. "Not if they're doing this to their own. If Lucien was only one of their experiments, who knows how far they've gone. The Five Ghosts of Nemesis might not be enough."

"We're not even five anymore," Steve reminded her. "With me out of commission, that leaves three."

Luciano looked away for a moment, his thoughts racing. "Mark's the strongest among you, but even he could be overwhelmed if they're testing this kind of power on him. And we still don't know for sure if he's alive."

"He is," Steve said without hesitation. "They wouldn't kill him. He's too important to them."

Luciano nodded slowly. "Even so, we can't take any chances. If they're willing to destroy their own for more power, we don't know what else they've built behind closed doors."

Maya's eyes shifted back to Steve. "What about Ethan? You said he showed up and ended the fight. How? How did he even survive a fight like that?"

Steve's expression tensed. "I'm not sure. But the Ethan that appeared… he wasn't the same kid we knew. He's changed. He's an Ascendant now."

Maya and Luciano exchanged a look, both confused.

"That fast?" Maya asked. "He hadn't even formed his core the last time we saw him."

Steve gave a tight smile. "I know. But he didn't just form a core. He ascended… and not just normally."

Luciano narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"He's a Golden one," Steve said.

Luciano's brow rose. "Golden? You're serious?"

Maya's mouth opened slightly, stunned.

Steve nodded. "From what I could sense, he's a Lower One-Star. Maybe just awakened… but he fought like someone with years of experience."

"That doesn't add up," Maya said. "Even a Golden Core user at that level shouldn't be able to fight someone beyond Three-Star. That's what the old records say."

Steve looked at her calmly. "The records don't explain everything. I saw it. I fought Lucien and the three hired Ascendants, and Ethan ended the three easily. He didn't just have a Golden Core. He had something else."

Luciano stepped forward. "What else?"

"He had an Artifact."

The room went quiet.

Maya and Luciano stared at him, stunned.

Luciano's calm cracked for the first time.

"What kind of Artifact are we talking about?" he asked, voice almost stammering.

Steve answered without hesitation. "A flaming sword."

Luciano went quiet. His expression hardened, not from fear but from understanding. Compared to Maya, he knew far more about the deeper layers of the world—especially when it came to Artifacts. And for an Ascendant to wield a sword as their Artifact, especially that early, meant something more.

"Is he one of them?" Luciano asked.

"One of who?" Maya looked between them, confused.

Steve shook his head. "I don't know. Mark looked into Ethan's background. Nothing in his family line points to anything unusual. No known connection to those families. All he found was a mention that Ethan's great-grandfather used to be a warrior."

"A warrior?" Luciano echoed. "What kind?"

"No clue," Steve admitted.

Luciano rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "Ethan Cole… That name doesn't show up in any of the known bloodlines. And none of those we've tracked ever had a sword as their Artifact."

Maya turned to Luciano, eyes narrowed with curiosity. "You clearly know something. Care to share with the rest of us?"

Luciano let out a quiet sigh. "I'll explain it later. For now, let's just say… there are a few lineages in the world where a sword as an Artifact means something far more dangerous than most realize."

He turned back to Steve, his voice firm. "So what now?"

Steve gave a knowing smile. "Now? Ethan's going to become Nemesis's top target for recruitment."

"But that also means," he continued, "he's going to draw a lot more attention. He's just getting started. A Golden Ascendant at his age? That kind of power doesn't stay quiet for long."

Maya leaned forward slightly. "If he reaches his full potential… he won't just be strong. He'll be a force."

Steve nodded. "He already is. But this isn't a fight he can win alone. The LaRues aren't just one enemy. They're a machine. And they'll keep pushing until something stops them."

Luciano's tone was calm but edged with warning. "Then we prepare. Because ready or not, this war isn't just his. It's coming for all of us."

The room went quiet again. Outside the window, the soft sounds of the hospital continued like background noise, a quiet reminder that the world still turned, even as the storm crept closer.