My Life Changed with the Unlimited System

Ethan adjusted the sleek black training suit Helena had given him, letting his fingers glide over the fabric.

"This is pretty good," he muttered under his breath.

The material impressed him. It was lightweight, flexible, and yet firm enough to feel secure. It moved with him like a second skin, tailored not just to fit, but to adapt. He could sense the subtle energy lines woven into the suit, designed for high-intensity combat.

"I could enhance this with magic," he said quietly. "That would be insane."

His body had changed, more than he realized. With his Strength, Speed, and Endurance now well beyond normal human limits, he looked like someone molded for battle. His muscles were defined but not bulky, and every movement carried a smooth precision.

The added points in Intelligence and Charisma had refined his posture and gaze, giving him a quiet sharpness that made people stop and take notice.

Behind the glass wall of the observation room, Luciano adjusted his glasses, eyes narrowing slightly as he studied Ethan.

"He looks like he was carved out of stone," he muttered. "If I didn't know better, I'd say we were testing a cover model, not an Ascendant."

Maya smirked and crossed her arms, leaning casually against the wall. "You're not wrong."

Inside the chamber, Helena's voice came through the intercom, steady and focused. "Ethan, we're beginning with the strength test. Follow the instructions as they come."

She'd chosen to monitor from outside, giving Ethan the space to unleash his full power without restraint.

The testing chamber was vast. Reinforced walls lined with hex-steel, ceilings tall enough to contain giants. In the center stood a combat module, sleek and high-tech, with four glowing targets arranged in a cross formation.

Ethan studied it for a moment.

'Two for punches. Two for kicks,' he noted. 'They're testing both sides. Smart.'

Before he could think further, Helena's voice came through the intercom, firm and direct. "Attack the targets with your full power, Ethan."

She gave a brief pause before continuing, "Start with your right punch, then left punch, followed by your right kick and left kick. We want a clear read on your output."

"Got it, but…" Ethan smirked, his tone light and teasing. "What's in it for me if I give my all?"

Behind the observation glass, Luciano let out a quiet laugh. "Let's see if his strength can keep up with that mouth."

Helena remained unfazed. "Impress us first. Then we'll talk about rewards."

"Fair enough," Ethan replied with a chuckle.

He rolled his shoulders, loosened his stance, and stepped up to the first glowing target on his right.

Dropping into position, he let his breathing steady. A faint golden shimmer laced his body, his aura responding to his focus. He pulled his right fist back, coiled with power, and launched it forward.

The impact landed with a heavy boom, the force vibrating through the chamber walls.

Outside, Maya, Luciano, and Helena all turned their eyes to the screen as the digital display blinked to life: 701.

Ethan blinked.

'That's… the same as my Strength stat,' he thought, narrowing his gaze. 'Exactly 701 points. So either this machine's scale is tied to my system… or the system was built to match this standard.'

A chill crept up Ethan's spine.

'Was the Unlimited System guiding me toward Nemesis all along?'

The thought hung in his mind like fog. It was quiet but heavy. He had no answer. And that uncertainty unsettled him more than he wanted to admit.

The silence in the observation room broke at last, soft and near-whispered.

"Seven hundred and one…" Helena's voice was low, as though speaking too loudly might disturb something delicate. "That's within the range of a Higher Three-Star Ascendant."

Luciano leaned forward, eyes narrowing at the screen. "You're certain he's a Lower One-Star?"

Helena didn't look away from the data. Her tone remained firm. "Yes. There's no mistake. That's what he registered when he entered the chamber. His aura confirms it."

"But his numbers," Luciano said, still frowning, "don't belong to that tier."

"They don't," she admitted. "That's why we're watching."

Inside the test chamber, Ethan flexed his fingers, stepping back from the target dummy he had just struck. The bones in his knuckles tingled from the impact, but his expression was unreadable.

He shifted to the next target on his left, his non-dominant side, and repositioned his stance. Then, without hesitation, he delivered another punch.

The strike echoed through the room like a thunderclap. The digital panel above the target blinked to life: 701.

From behind the reinforced glass, the three observers exchanged glances.

"Identical output," Maya murmured. "That's... rare."

Luciano nodded, still watching the numbers. "Most Ascendants favor one side. There's usually a gap, sometimes wide, between dominant and off-hand strength. But he's symmetrical."

Helena tapped her tablet and logged the readings, her expression growing more thoughtful by the second. "Not just symmetrical. Intentional. He's maintaining output with exact precision. That kind of control isn't common, not even at higher ranks."

She swiped to another page. "Let's see what his legs can do."

Ethan didn't need prompting. He turned toward the kicking apparatus, took a short breath, and lifted his right leg. The kick came fast, sharp, and devastating.

The machine shuddered from the force.

The screen lit up again: 701.

Without pause, he pivoted and drove his left leg into the second target.

Once again, the screen displayed: 701.

Luciano's brow lifted. "Now that is strange."

"Usually, kicking power is higher than punching, larger muscles, longer range of motion," Helena didn't disagree. "But these machines don't just measure raw strength. They analyze energy efficiency, how well force is converted from motion into impact."

She looked up from her screen, her voice quiet but certain. "And Ethan? He's operating at full efficiency across every limb."

Maya folded her arms, her gaze still on Ethan. "That's… unnerving. No drop-offs. No weak side. Just pure consistency."

In the chamber, Ethan took a few steps back from the targets. His breathing remained steady, no sign of strain in his posture. He looked toward the one-way glass, eyes calm, but there was something else behind them—curiosity. Anticipation.

"Well?" he asked, voice clear through the comm. "Did I pass?"

No one answered at first.

Helena slowly lowered her tablet.

Luciano leaned forward slightly, his voice low as he murmured to Maya, "Either he's a natural-born phenomenon… or someone... or something is fine-tuning him behind the scenes."

Maya didn't turn her head. Her gaze remained fixed on Ethan through the glass. "You think he has backing?"

Luciano exhaled slowly. "You've already dug through his records. There's no sign of support from any known family."

Helena's voice cut in, cautious and quiet. "Then… are you saying he has a Master?"

The room fell silent.

Luciano's lips pressed into a thin line. Maya shifted, arms folding tighter across her chest. Neither of them answered right away, not because they lacked words, but because the truth, if spoken aloud, felt heavier than either option.

If Ethan was born with it, he was a once-in-a-generation anomaly.

But if he had a Master… then whoever that Master was, they had created something terrifying. Besides, the Master himself must be terrifying and now they were testing his disciple...

Luciano glanced at Maya.

She didn't need to speak. The same thought showed in her eyes.

Which one was more dangerous?

And on the other side of the glass, Ethan stood quietly in the center of the chamber.

He was waiting for their response. But deep inside, he already knew the answer.

He wasn't just passing the test.

He was changing the way they measured it.