Ethan Cole - The Unlimited System

The living room was quiet, lit only by the soft orange glow of a few enchanted lanterns hanging on the walls. Outside, the winds whispered through the trees. The moon was high, casting pale light through the narrow windows.

Alden sat beside Hera on the old wooden couch, his arms resting on his knees, fingers laced.

From the other room, they could hear Ethan moving. His footsteps were light, and controlled.

"I'm going to get ready," he had told them earlier. "Whatever happens… I need to be ready for what's coming."

Now, with that silence returning, Alden leaned closer to Hera.

"Do you think it is a good idea to let him do it?" His voice was quiet. "Should I let Ethan take my place and go for the ritual?"

Hera turned slowly to look at him, trying to read the full meaning behind his question.

Alden met her gaze. "I know how stupid it sounds… but you know I'm capable of handling it. If I go instead of him—"

"Don't be a fool," Hera cut him off, her voice sharp but laced with concern. "You think I want something bad to happen to you? I don't. But that doesn't mean I want Ethan to suffer either."

She looked away for a moment, then added more quietly, "But as of now, between the two of you… Ethan has the better chance of making it out alive."

Alden clenched his jaw and nodded. But his heart was far from settled.

He turned his head slightly, muttering, "That's only because you've still kept the limiter on me. If you just removed it… I could do better. I could fight."

Hera didn't respond immediately. She stared at the floor, her lips pressed together. Then, with a sigh, she spoke.

"If I did that… my Master's sacrifice would be meaningless."

Alden said nothing. He looked down, his fists clenched tight. The pain in his eyes was clear.

He wanted to fight. He wanted to protect. But fate, it seemed, had placed the burden on someone else.

Five years ago, the cold was not just biting. It was merciless.

Snow howled through the peaks of the Varedan Heights, a frozen range nestled deep in the northern reaches of the Kannan Empire. It was a place where no ordinary man would dare venture, a land ruled by storms and silence.

But it was here that Alden ran. And it was here that blood had already stained the snow.

He stumbled across jagged ice, half-frozen blood streaking from the cut on his shoulder. His breathing was ragged, each exhale a cloud of steam.

The wind roared above him, not natural wind, but his own. He had summoned it in desperation, in fury. And with it, he had killed two of the Twelve Holy Knights.

They had cornered him three days ago.

He had given them a warning.

They didn't listen.

Now they were buried somewhere beneath layers of snow, their armor shattered, their bodies broken by gales sharp enough to rip through steel.

Back then, Alden wasn't known as just Alden.

He was The White Fang, a title whispered with both awe and fear.

A young Vessel whose mastery over the Wind Element had grown too dangerous, too unpredictable.

In the Empire's records, he was labeled as a threat that had to be eliminated. No trial. No questions.

The High Seer himself had issued the order.

But it wasn't the High Seer who came.

It was her apprentice—Hera's Master.

She found him after a full week of chase. Not by tracking footprints, but by reading the sky. By listening to the whispers in the air.

Alden remembered the moment well.

He was leaning against a cliff wall, bleeding, half-conscious. When he opened his eyes, a woman stood before him in dark blue robes. She had no weapons drawn, no fear in her eyes.

"You can stop running," she said.

"I'll kill you too," he had growled, teeth clenched.

"I know," she replied calmly.

But she didn't raise her hand. Instead, she spoke again. "Or… you can listen. You've done enough damage. But maybe… it's not too late to find meaning."

He didn't believe her, not then. But something in her eyes. They were calm, unreadable, and unwavering as they pierced through the storm inside him.

That woman didn't fight him.

She saved him.

She brought him down from the mountains, taught him how to suppress the surging power inside. Taught him how to hide it. To blend in.

She placed a limiter on him, a binding of her own making, so the world wouldn't feel the storm that still raged in his bones.

But the cost of the limiter was... her own life.

And when she died… Hera took her place.

Alden owed her everything.

But part of him never stopped wondering. What would happen if the limiter was removed?

Would he still be The White Fang?

Or would he become something worse?

Alden's eyes were still lost in the storm of memory when Hera's voice cut through it like a knife.

"Alden," she said softly. "If the limiter was removed… what would you do?"

His eyes twitched. He turned slowly to face her, caught off guard not by the question itself, but by how calmly she asked it. She wasn't mocking him. She wasn't testing him. She genuinely wanted to know.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"I… I don't know," he said quietly. "Maybe I'll be able to put an end to everything and be of help to Ethan. He's a good guy."

Hera watched him, her expression unreadable. Her voice remained gentle, but her words didn't soften.

"You've never stopped thinking about it."

"I haven't," he admitted.

She stood up and walked toward the small window, her arms folded across her chest. "I'm not afraid of the strength you have, Alden. But I am afraid of what it might take from you if it's unsealed."

Alden clenched his fists on his knees.

"I just hate feeling useless. Watching others carry everything. Especially Ethan. He risks himself for me without hesitation. And me? I just sit here… waiting."

Hera turned around. Her eyes met his, calm, but firm.

"You survived the cold, Alden. You survived the Empire. You survived your own rage."

Then she took a step closer.

"And now, you need to survive something harder. Trust."

Alden looked down, her words sinking into his chest like ice. He said nothing. But in his heart, the winds stirred again, not wild this time, but waiting.

While Alden and Hera sat quietly under the moonlight outside, Ethan was alone in the guest room, seated on the edge of the bed. His hands rested on his knees, eyes half-shut. The night was calm, but his thoughts weren't.

He opened his Mission Panel again.

=====

[Own Ridge Rovers FC]

Objective: Purchase Ridge Rovers Football Club and take full ownership. Lay the groundwork to rebuild and restructure the club. Your first milestone is simple—secure the acquisition. Everything else begins from there.

True vision starts with bold moves. The club is waiting. Make it yours.

Reward:

1. Level up 1 level

2. 50 Ascension Points

Time Limit:

Complete before the new season starts (59 days left)

=====

[Rise With Ridge Rovers FC]

Objective: Transform Ridge Rovers FC into a powerhouse capable of securing promotion to the First Division. Use the momentum to expand Nova Tech's brand visibility, forge cultural influence, and unlock new streams of growth for the company.

Build the team. Secure the promotion. Grow the empire.

Rewards:

1. 1500 Ascension Points

2. +500 All Attributes

Time Limit:

Complete by the end of the football season (10 months left)

=====

[Forming the Dragon Core]

Objective: Only those who possess a Golden Core and have been bestowed with the Dragon Ascension Method are qualified to attempt the formation of the Dragon Core—an advanced evolution that fuses power, will, and elemental harmony into a singular force.

This process is not guaranteed. It requires perfect internal synchronization, extreme discipline, and absolute courage. But should you succeed, you will step onto a path walked by only the most legendary Ascendants in history.

Rewards:

1. +200 to all Attributes

2. Affinity with all Four Basic Elements

3. 100 Ascension Points

4. New Title: [To Be Revealed Upon Completion]

=====

Trial of the Dragon - Part 3]

Objective: Prevent Alden from being taken as the sacrifice for the Full Veil Ritual. Stop the ritual before it begins. Uncover the location where the ritual is planned to take place.

Reward: +50 Dragon Soul Fragments

=====

Ethan leaned back against the cold wall, the wooden floor beneath him creaking softly as he shifted his weight. The light from the small lamp on the table flickered, casting his long shadow across the floor. His fingers hovered in the air as the translucent Mission Panel glowed faintly before his eyes.

He scanned each mission slowly, his gaze lingering longer on the ones that mattered most right now.

'Trial of the Dragon… and Forming the Dragon Core.'

He exhaled through his nose.

These two weren't just linked, they were part of something bigger. He could feel it. There was a reason the system had pushed both at the same time. If he completed the trial by stopping the ritual and protecting Alden, then perhaps the reward would grant him the strength he needed to trigger the formation of the Dragon Core.

And with the Dragon Core formed… maybe the system would allow him to return to Earth.

His heart stirred at that thought. 'I'll rescue you, Mark.'

Then, his eyes flicked upward at the other missions.

The ones about Ridge Rovers FC.

He chuckled softly to himself. "Football, huh?"

It felt almost ridiculous. Missions that once felt like the biggest part of his life were now paused, waiting behind ancient secrets and magical conspiracies. And yet, they were still important.

Once he got back to Earth, he had to act fast. Nova Tech. His family. Mark.

The world would keep moving even without him, but he wasn't planning to be left behind.

His fingers curled into fists.

But what truly surprised him was how natural all this now felt.

Being hunted. Lying to people stronger than him. Fighting with a sword. Seeing systems and missions that would've broken him a month ago.

'When did this become normal to me?' he thought. 'When did I start walking into danger without blinking?'

The truth was… he didn't know.

But one thing was clear. There was no going back to who he used to be.

Not anymore.

***

In a private chamber draped in red silk and perfumed with incense, Lord Qiren reclined lazily on a couch made of golden wood. The soft clinking of jewelry and the faint giggle of half-dressed attendants filled the air.

Cushions were strewn across the polished floor, and behind sheer curtains, a soft harp played, plucked by hands unseen.

Despite the revelry, one man knelt in the shadows, head bowed low.

Protector Vareth.

His dark armor had been discarded, replaced by a plain robe, yet his posture still bore the weight of a disciplined warrior. It was a strange sight, a man of his status in the Cahaya Village, kneeling before Lord Qiren, from the enemy's empire. And yet here he was, in utter silence, until Lord Qiren finally spoke.

"So…" Qiren's voice was smooth, arrogant, laced with amusement. He didn't even look down at Vareth as he idly ran his fingers through the hair of a lounging attendant. "How goes the progress, Protector? Is it truly as the old man claimed?"

Vareth lifted his head just a little. "Yes, my Lord. Most of what Elder Harran reported is true. The Full Veil Ritual is going to happen. Preparations are underway."

Lord Qiren's lips curved slightly, his eyes glinting with cold satisfaction. "Good. It seems I made the right choice putting you in this role."

Vareth hesitated before adding, "But... we haven't captured the sacrifices yet. It's difficult to move in a place this small without drawing attention."

Lord Qiren's fingers stopped moving.

Slowly, he turned to look at Vareth.

"And whose failure is that?"

Vareth lowered his head. "There was an unexpected problem. An outsider showed up. At first, Elder Harran thought he might be the one from the prophecy. But I don't think so. He's clever... but not divine."

Qiren let out a sharp breath, clearly irritated.

"Divine or not, the ritual won't work without the right blood. Find the sacrifices. Fast. I don't care what it costs."

"Yes, my Lord," Vareth replied.

Qiren leaned back again, voice lazy as his hand flicked away a goblet of wine. "And Vareth... if Harran proves to be unreliable, you know what to do."

Vareth's eyes didn't flinch.

"I do."

The harp music continued in the background, soft and mocking, like a lullaby before a storm as he slowly went out.

Vareth's boots struck the stone road with quiet rhythm as he left the private quarters of Lord Qiren. The night in Cahaya Village was unusually still, the streets empty, the air cold enough to chill through fabric. Lamps glowed dimly along the way, casting long shadows behind him.

He didn't rush. His steps were steady. But his mind was far from calm.

'Where is Duran? What happened to him?'

Those questions had been circling his thoughts since the evening. He had already sent three different squads to observe the man. Each squad had gone silent. No reports. No sightings. No return. They had simply... vanished.

He had assumed at first that Duran had fled. But even so, for experienced scouts to disappear without a trace, it didn't make sense.

'Unless someone got to them first,' he thought.

He narrowed his eyes.

And another problem was Hera.

The people he had stationed around her house had also gone missing. He had placed them there personally, spread thin but precise, every window, every possible exit had been covered. Yet when he went there just before meeting Lord Qiren to check for himself, the perimeter was empty.

Not a single soul.

No sign of battle. No blood. No noise. Just silence.

'Too clean. Too perfect. Someone strong is covering their tracks,' he wondered again. 'Or the Twelve Holy Knights already aware of this?'

He arrived at the Council Hall, stepping through the outer gate where two guards stood on watch. They saluted him quickly, but he didn't return it. His focus was elsewhere.

Duran's disappearance. The failed surveillance on Hera. And the strange feeling in his gut that something was slipping through the cracks.

He climbed the stone steps toward his private chamber inside the Council Hall.

He would need to reassess everything.