My Life Changed with the Unlimited System

Lena Volkov stood alone on the rooftop of Nova Tech's high-rise headquarters.

The wind picked up around her, brushing against her cheeks and tugging lightly at her ponytail. She didn't move. Her eyes stayed fixed on the horizon, where the city of Novan stretched endlessly beneath the fading glow of the evening sun.

Down below, traffic pulsed like veins of light. People moved about, unaware of the shifting forces above their heads. But Lena wasn't looking at them. She was thinking.

Her mind was still caught in the quiet intensity of the conversation she had just had with Ethan Cole.

There was something about him that unsettled her in ways she didn't expect.

Not fear. Not even caution.

It was... curiosity.

"What is it, actually?" Lena muttered. "This feeling... It bothers me so much."

Ethan's aura hadn't just suggested potential. It had glowed with the unmistakable trace of a recent awakening. It was raw, untamed, and growing at a rate that should have been impossible.

"I remember seeing him once," Lena muttered under her breath. "He wasn't even awakened back then. So how…"

Her voice drifted off as the sound of footsteps echoed gently behind her—heels tapping against the smooth rooftop floor, unhurried and calm.

Lena turned, already knowing who it was.

Chloe approached with her usual composed stride, dressed in a black tailored suit over a crisp white blouse. Her short dark hair swayed slightly with the wind, and her pale gray eyes held their usual quiet sharpness.

"Chloe," Lena greeted. Her tone was casual, but there was a subtle shift of curiosity in her gaze. "Didn't expect to see you up here."

"I figured I'd check in, Lena," Chloe replied, stopping a few steps away. "I heard you finally met Ethan Cole. Thought you might want to debrief."

Lena gave a faint smile but turned back toward the skyline. "Not much to debrief. But I'll admit, he surprised me."

Chloe folded her arms lightly. "Surprised? In what way?"

"I sensed it," Lena said quietly. "Barely there, but it was real. Ethan is an Ascendant now."

Chloe blinked, visibly taken aback. "That's strange. I met with him just a few days ago. I didn't pick up anything. No aura. No fluctuations. Nothing."

She paused before adding, "Or does he know how to hide his presence? But that's almost unlikely. It wasn't easy to do so."

"That's what makes this so interesting," Lena replied, her arms folding as well. "I think he's only just awakened. His energy is unrefined. But there's power there. Power that doesn't match how new he is to all this."

"Power?" Chloe's brows furrowed. "You're saying he's a late bloomer? That usually means a cap on growth. You know the pattern. The older the age of awakening, the weaker the ceiling."

She looked at Lena and added, "With his age, he might stop at the Three-Star rank. If he was lucky, might reach Four-Star."

"I know," Lena said. "But I don't think those rules apply to him. There are always exceptions. I've seen enough to know not everything follows the script."

Chloe tilted her head, studying Lena's face. "So you think he's an anomaly."

"I think he's something we haven't seen in a while," Lena said, her voice firm. "He carries himself differently. Like someone who already understands both what he has, and what it could cost him."

"That's rare," Chloe admitted.

"Very."

There was a brief silence as the wind rushed past them. Distant sirens echoed faintly through the air, swallowed quickly by the height of the rooftop.

Then Chloe asked, "Do you want me or one of the Guardians to test him? Just enough to see where his limits are."

"No. You Guardians shouldn't do that," Lena's answer came without hesitation. "I don't want him to feel provoked. Ethan isn't someone we should antagonize right now. If anything, we should be preparing to stand beside him."

Chloe's eyes narrowed. "So you want him as an ally?"

"More than that," Lena replied. "He could be a deciding factor in everything we're about to face. If what I suspect about the LaRues is true, then Ethan is going to end up at the center of it. Whether he wants to or not."

Chloe nodded slowly. "You're still thinking about your competition for leadership."

"I'm always thinking about it," Lena said. "Every heir is making their move. Most of them are already aligning with older families. Some are even allying with external factions. I need something they don't have."

Her eyes flicked to Chloe. "I need influence here. Control. And Nova Tech... Ethan... they're not just tools. They're keys. Especially if Ethan keeps growing at this rate."

Chloe's gaze lingered on her. "You're placing a lot of trust in someone you barely know."

"I know the risk," Lena said plainly. "But I also know that if we keep waiting for the perfect time or perfect partner, someone else will move first. The LaRues are already accelerating their plans. We can't afford to wait."

"You want us to back off then? No contact with him unless necessary?" Chloe asked.

Lena nodded. "Yes. For now, don't interfere. Observe if you must, but do not engage unless it's work-related."

Chloe looked away for a moment, then back again with a faint smirk. "Well, technically… I already have been involved. I've been helping test the core app updates."

Lena arched an eyebrow. "You? Testing the app?"

Chloe shrugged, her expression carefully neutral. "It's interesting. And someone has to make sure the back-end systems don't blow up."

Lena smiled slightly, the first real one of the evening. "Right. Just make sure it stays professional."

"Of course," Chloe replied, though her ears turned slightly pink.

The smile on Lena's lips widened a bit. "Relax. I'm not judging. But enjoy the calm while it lasts. This city won't stay quiet forever."

Chloe gave a respectful nod. "Understood. As always, I'll make sure the other guardians are informed. We'll keep our distance unless told otherwise."

"Good," Lena said, her eyes drifting back to the city's glittering skyline. "And Chloe…"

Chloe paused at the stairwell door, glancing back.

"Thank you. I know I can count on you."

Chloe gave a quiet nod. "Always."

As her footsteps faded down the stairs, Lena stood still in the open breeze, her thoughts shifting once more to the young man she had just met.

She had seen many Ascendants rise. Some with power, some with backing. Few had both.

But Ethan… he had something else. Something she couldn't quite name.

And she needed to know what it was.

She took a slow breath, eyes scanning the endless stretch of city lights.

"Let's see what you'll become, Ethan Cole," she whispered into the wind.

And somewhere in the distance, thunder rolled softly beyond the horizon.