My Life Changed with the Unlimited System

In one of the private rooms at Novan City Hospital, Jordan's body shifted slightly.

A dull ache pulsed through him, and everything felt heavy. His limbs, his chest, even his eyelids. The steady beep of a heart monitor was the first thing he heard.

He forced his eyes open. Blurry shapes greeted him at first, and for a few seconds, nothing made sense.

As his vision slowly cleared, he turned his head to the side.

"Where… am I?"

This wasn't his room. It wasn't home.

Instinctively, he scanned the space, hoping to see someone familiar. Maybe Ethan, Jessica, or maybe a family member.

But instead, a stranger sat beside the bed.

The man had his legs crossed and wore a casual smile, as if they were old friends meeting again.

That's when Jordan noticed the bodies.

Figures lay motionless on the floor. He couldn't see them clearly, and even if he could, he knew none of them. Only if he knew that based on the uniform, these people were Nemesis agents.

He didn't recognize any of them, and he didn't they were assigned to protect him. Most were Higher Three-Star Ascendants. Now, they were unconscious… or worse, dead.

A spike of panic hit his chest.

"What... happened?"

The man's voice was calm. "Don't worry. They were trying to hurt you. I stopped them."

That was obviously a lie. But, Jordan couldn't tell that in his current state.

He blinked hard, trying to recall who the man was, but nothing came. He was certain they had never met before.

The man wore a sharp, tailored suit and had a composed, polished air about him. But something about the way he sat there, too relaxed, too still, made Jordan uneasy.

"I'm glad you're awake, Jordan," the man said with a smile that felt anything but sincere.

Jordan swallowed. His throat was dry, his voice rough when he spoke again. "Who are you?"

He glanced around again, adding, "And where am I?"

The man's smile widened. "You're safe. That's all that matters for now. You've been in a coma for a few days. Don't push yourself, or you'll feel it again."

He wasn't lying about that part. As Jordan tried to sit up, pain tore through his side. He winced and collapsed back onto the pillow, his hand flying to his bandaged abdomen.

Then the memories hit.

The chaos. Steve fighting. Donald's hired Ascendants. Lucien. Gunshots. Screams. Jessica.

"Jessica… Steve…" Jordan's voice dropped to a whisper. "What the hell happened actually…"

His mind was full of questions, and the man seemed to know it.

"You must be wondering what really happened that day," the man said softly. "About Steve's fight… about those mercenaries… about Lucien. And, of course… Ethan."

Jordan's eyes narrowed. "Where's Ethan? Where's Jessica? What happened to her father?"

The man gave a faint chuckle. "Jessica's safe. Ethan came to rescue you, but he was… let's just say, late."

He paused, then added, "If he had taken your message more seriously, maybe things would've turned out differently."

Jordan froze.

'How does he know I texted Ethan?'

'Is he… one of Ethan's men?'

Before he could ask, the man answered the one question that mattered most.

"What happened to Jessica's father?" Jordan pressed.

The man let out a slow breath, as if the truth genuinely weighed on him.

"He was killed," the man said quietly. "By Donald."

"What?!" Jordan was stunned. "How? What happened?"

"As I said," the man replied calmly, "Ethan was a little late. But he still managed to save you, Jessica… and Steve, too."

Jordan's breathing grew shallow. His mind was racing, still trying to catch up. He stared at the man, squinting through the haze in his vision.

"Who… are you?" he asked hoarsely. "How do you know all this?"

The man tilted his head slightly, his calm smile never fading. "Forgive me. I should've introduced myself earlier. My name is Alexander."

Jordan frowned. "Alexander?" The name meant nothing to him. "I don't know you."

His voice was getting steadier now. "What do you want?"

Alexander leaned in a little. "I want to help you, Jordan."

"Help me?" Jordan echoed, his tone skeptical. "Help me with what?"

Alexander's eyes sparkled with something unreadable. "Exactly what I said. Don't you want to understand what really happened? To know the truth about the fight that day? About Ethan's sudden strength… his wealth? About the real world you've been blind to all this time?"

Jordan stared at him, shaken. The way Alexander spoke, it was like he could read his thoughts.

He had always been fascinated by the idea of superpowers. But after joining Ethan at Nova Tech, everything became more confusing. Ethan's wealth. His transformation. The way he fought. It wasn't normal.

Jordan had admired him, but that admiration was now mixed with questions… and a little envy.

He had been the one loving the tales of the superheroes, superpowers and the world of the strong but... Ethan was the one who received everything.

There had to be a secret. Something Ethan wasn't telling him.

Jordan's voice dropped. "How? How can you help me understand all that?"

Alexander's smile widened, though there was a strange coldness behind it. "Come with me, Jordan. I'll show you the real world."

He looked at Jordan and added, "I'll show you everything that Ethan had been kept secret from you, his so-called best friend."

For a moment, Jordan hesitated. He didn't know this man. He didn't trust him. But he wanted answers. More than that, he wanted to change his life.

He looked down at his body, remembering the pain. One wound from a knife, the other from a gunshot. Donald had nearly killed him.

He clenched his jaw. The pain was still there. So was the anger.

Besides, he had somehow felt betrayed by Ethan. He was late, Jessica's father was dead and he was badly injured, too.

Alexander's voice pulled him back. "What's your decision, Jordan?"

Jordan swallowed hard. "What if I say no?"

Alexander gave a casual shrug. "Then you stay here. Rest. Go back to your old life. But if you want the truth, if you want to be part of something bigger, you'll take my hand."

He extended it, waiting.

Jordan stared at it.

"Can I become like Ethan?" he asked quietly.

"Like Ethan?" Alexander nodded. "You can be better."

Jordan's heart raced. Part of him wanted to run. But another part… reached out.

He took the hand.

Alexander's smile deepened as he helped him to his feet.

"Good choice, Jordan. Welcome to the real world."