My Life Changed with the Unlimited System

The grand study of the LaRue estate was not just built to impress, it was built to dominate.

Dark mahogany shelves lined every inch of the high walls, stacked with aged tomes and rare manuscripts. Their presence was not for reading, but for reminding every guest that knowledge here was hoarded, curated, and controlled.

Above the fireplace hung a massive portrait of Alphonse LaRue, the first Ascendant in the family's bloodline. His pale, weathered eyes seemed to follow anyone who entered, as if judging their worth.

Beneath that cold stare, the current patriarch sat in his high-backed leather chair, perfectly centered under the massive chandelier.

Victor LaRue, a man whose mere presence commanded silence, leaned forward slightly, fingers steepled in thought. His silver-streaked hair was combed back, his black suit sharp enough to cut glass.

Everything about him whispered legacy, power and fear.

Two men stood before him, Mike and Taison, both veterans of the LaRue private force. They weren't just loyal. They were tested. Hardened. Trusted.

And yet, even they stood stiff and cautious beneath Victor's gaze.

To Victor's right, standing like a poised blade, was Alexander LaRue. Tall and lean, the adopted son wore a simple charcoal coat over a buttoned shirt, the LaRue insignia stitched subtly over his chest.

Unlike Victor, whose authority was rooted in legacy, Alexander exuded a cold, analytical presence. It was quiet, but suffocating in its sharpness. His gaze never strayed, never blinked more than it needed to.

Every movement was efficient. Every silence, calculated.

Victor finally broke the hush, his voice deep and deliberate.

"So. Let me make sure I heard this correctly."

The weight of his tone made even the air hesitate.

"Lucien took one of our silver pills and managed to hold his ground against Steve… of the Five Ghosts of Nemesis?"

Mike nodded solemnly. "Yes, sir. He didn't just keep up but he pushed him back. Just a little more and he would be fully defeated."

A small frown twitched across Victor's lips. He leaned back, his fingers tapping together slowly, a rhythm that betrayed the speed of his thoughts.

"And the second pill?"

"We stopped him," Taison answered firmly. "He was demanding it. Said one wasn't enough. But there's no precedent, no trials on rapid sequencing. It could've collapsed his nervous system. We had to intervene."

Victor's gaze sharpened. "And what was his reason? Steve alone should have been enough to satisfy his ego."

Mike hesitated. "It wasn't about Steve. Lucien was preparing for someone else."

Victor's eyes narrowed, voice now low and deliberate. "Who?"

"Ethan Cole."

The name changed everything.

The atmosphere shifted. As if the room itself reacted.

Victor sat still, but his silence spoke volumes. His brow twitched, eyes distant—searching memories and rumors.

"Ethan Cole…" he muttered. "The boy who came with Nova Tech?"

"Yes, sir," Mike confirmed. "But… he's not what we thought he was."

Victor's voice hardened. "What do you mean by that?"

Taison took a step forward, glancing at Alexander before speaking. "Ethan is an Ascendant. A Lower One-Star. But that's not the strange part."

Victor raised an eyebrow. "Then what is?"

"He took down three Four-Star Ascendants hired by Donald. Alone."

Alexander, who had remained quietly observant, finally moved. His expression sharpened.

"That's absurd," he said coolly, though his interest was clearly piqued. "No one crosses that kind of gap unless they're hiding something. Or someone misreported the fight."

"They didn't," Taison replied. "I saw it with my own eyes. So did Mike. Ethan didn't just survive. He overwhelmed them."

Alexander's gaze flicked toward Mike. "Explain."

Mike inhaled deeply. "At first, we thought it was a bluff. The kind of reckless courage you see from fresh Ascendants. But when the fight started, Ethan's aura—"

He paused.

"It had a golden hue."

Victor straightened. The tapping of his fingers stopped.

"What did you say?" His voice was quiet. Almost too quiet.

"Golden, sir," Taison confirmed. "Not bright like a flare… more like a veil. Subtle, but unmistakable."

Alexander's eyes narrowed with sudden clarity. "That's not possible."

"It happened," Taison said. "We weren't the only ones who saw it. Lucien, too."

Victor stood up slowly, his voice heavier than before. "A golden aura means…"

He didn't finish the sentence.

Alexander did.

"A Golden Ascendant," he murmured, a slow smile curling at the edge of his lips. "So that's what he is. That explains his performance. It explains a lot, actually."

He crossed his arms, more amused than surprised. "But how does a nobody like Ethan Cole awaken to something that hasn't been recorded in over centuries?"

Victor gave him a sharp look. "That's what we need to find out. If he's connected to one of the Grand Families or Supreme—"

"Or worse," Alexander added with a grin. "An Ancient Family."

Victor's jaw clenched. "Then this isn't just about technology or power anymore. If he is one of them, we're playing with fire."

Alexander tilted his head slightly. "Which is why we need to act first."

Victor's expression darkened. "You want to bring him in."

Alexander nodded. "Not just bring him in. I want to secure him. Contain him. Study him."

Mike shifted uncomfortably, but said nothing.

"There's more," Taison said, reluctantly. "We didn't report this earlier, because… we weren't certain."

Victor's eyes turned to him sharply. "Speak."

"Ethan may be possessing an Artifact."

Victor frowned. "Describe it."

"It's a sword," Mike added. "But during the clash with Donald's Ascendants, we caught glimpses of an irregular pulse. It seemed to be amplifying him."

Alexander's smile widened. "Interesting. That changes things."

He looked toward Victor, the flicker of excitement unmistakable in his usually calm face.

"Our silver pill," he said slowly, "is made from essence we extracted from Mark. A High Four-Star Bronze Ascendant. That's why it peaks so early. It's artificial."

Victor nodded. "But you added your own essence, didn't you?"

"A fraction," Alexander confirmed. "Enough to stabilize it. But even that makes a difference."

He paused, then added, "Imagine if we had essence from someone like Ethan. A Golden Ascendant. We wouldn't be imitating power anymore. We'd be creating something new."

Victor's eyes darkened. "You're talking about a real gold pill."

"Yes. One that could raise an entire army of Artificial and enhanced Ascendants. Maybe even rival the Grand or Supreme Families."

For a moment, no one spoke.

Then Victor turned, slowly walking to the wide windows overlooking the estate courtyard. His hands clasped behind his back, his posture regal yet weighed by heavy thought.

"He doesn't know," Victor said at last. "Does he?"

"No," Alexander replied. "He's strong, but he's green. He doesn't understand the game yet."

Victor's voice grew colder. "Then we strike before he learns the rules."

Mike's face tensed. "Sir… if we're wrong, if he truly is backed by a Supreme or Ancient—"

"Then we deal with the consequences when they come," Alexander cut in. "But if we hesitate and he rises beyond our reach, we lose everything. Power. Relevance. Legacy."

Victor turned back to face them, eyes like steel.

"Find out everything about Ethan Cole. Friends. Strengths. Weaknesses. If he bleeds gold, we bleed him carefully."

Mike and Taison bowed.

Alexander stepped forward.

"Let me handle the first contact," he said.

Victor eyed him. "You want to confront him?"

He smirked. "I have my way, Father."

Victor paused for a long moment.

Then nodded. "Make it clean. No mistakes."

"As always," Alexander replied smoothly.

As the doors to the study opened and the two guards stepped out, Victor looked once more at the portrait of Alphonse above the fireplace.

"In the age of monsters," he whispered, "only monsters survive."

The hunt for Ethan Cole had begun.