Ethan Cole - The Unlimited System

Ethan closed the door behind him, shutting out the sounds of laughter and conversation drifting through Jessica's house. The muffled noise faded into a warm hum as he stood alone in the quiet room.

He exhaled slowly.

'I'd love to stay out there… but I've got something more urgent to deal with,' he reminded himself.

The room was simple. It was clean, and warm, with a touch of lived-in comfort, but his eyes barely registered it. His thoughts were elsewhere.

'I can't focus on anything else right now. The system's waiting.'

With a blink, the familiar interface flared to life before him, glowing softly in the dim light. The translucent panels hovered with quiet authority as if they too had been waiting patiently.

Ethan sat on the edge of the bed, his fingers laced loosely in his lap, eyes fixed on the floating display.

"Alright," he muttered, the tension in his voice betraying his calm. "Time for an upgrade."

A focused thought was all it took.

The Shop Panel unfolded like a deck of cards, one by one, ready for him to explore.

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[Shop Panel]

Available Items:

Lower Grade Strength Potion (1 Ascension Point) (5/5)

Lower Grade Speed Potion (1 Ascension Point) (5/5)

Lower Grade Endurance Potion (1 Ascension Point) (5/5)

Lower Grade Charisma Potion (1 Ascension Point) (5/5)

Lower Grade Intelligence Potion (1 Ascension Point) (5/5)

Memory Enhancement Potion (5 Ascension Points) (1/1)

Lower Grade Recovery Potion (1 Ascension Point) (5/5)

[Locked Items – Level Up Required]

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"Just two new items, huh?" He looked at the numbers and saw that all of the Lower Grade Potions were restored to five again. "This will do, too."

Ethan studied the list with a mix of anticipation and disappointment. He had been hoping that reaching Level 5 would unlock a wider variety of items, perhaps something groundbreaking that could shift his plans dramatically.

Instead, the additions were modest.

The Memory Enhancement Potion stood out as the only notable new entry.

"Guess the system's holding back the big stuff for later," Ethan muttered to himself, half praying.

His gaze lingered on the Memory Enhancement Potion. Intrigued, he tapped on its description.

[Memory Enhancement Potion: Permanently enhances the user's memory, granting eidetic recall. Memorize anything instantly and retain it perfectly.

Cost: 5 Ascension Points.]

"Eidetic memory?" Ethan raised his eyebrows.

The idea seemed almost too good to be true. Having a perfect memory, and being able to easily scan and remember large amounts of information, was amazing.

He could already imagine the potential applications. He could master complex topics, strategize with unparalleled precision, and keep ahead of any challenge.

"This… this is insane," Ethan whispered, his mind racing.

Without hesitation, he purchased the potion. The familiar ding of confirmation echoed in his mind, and a faint shimmer appeared before him.

Reaching out, he grasped the potion and downed it in one swift motion.

The effect was immediate. Ethan suddenly felt clear and focused. He blinked quickly as his thoughts and senses came together in his mind.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

"It must be a passive skill, right?" Ethan wondered aloud.

To test it, he pulled up an article on advanced machine learning on his phone and began to read.

Within minutes, he had absorbed the entire article, not just understanding the concepts but committing every detail to memory. He could recall the diagrams, the formulas, and even the specific wording of each paragraph with crystal clarity.

It was like having a photographic imprint of the text in his brain.

Ethan leaned back, stunned. "Unreal…" he murmured.

His thoughts drifted to high school. If he'd had this ability back then, he could have spent far less time cramming for exams and more time enjoying football.

The thought made him chuckle softly.

But now, the possibilities were endless. As a university student, he still had three weeks left before the break ended. With this upgrade, he could easily dominate his coursework.

Yet, a part of him wondered if it was worth continuing at all. Balancing lectures, assignments, and exams would leave him with far less time to pursue other, potentially more significant endeavors.

"Should I even go back?" Ethan wondered aloud.

The question lingered in his mind. While he valued education, his current path, armed with the system and its limitless potential, offered opportunities far beyond what a university degree could provide.

He decided he would need to talk to his parents about it. They deserved to know what he was considering, especially given how much they'd supported him over the years.

For now, though, there were more pressing matters. Ethan returned his focus to the Shop Panel. He needed to thoroughly review and carefully plan his spending of Ascension Points.

The day's events had shown him that preparation was key, and he wasn't about to let any opportunity slip through his fingers or take any risks.

Ethan's attention shifted to the description of the Lower Grade Recovery Potion. As he read through its details, he realized just how valuable it could be in high-stakes situations.

The potion promised to restore vitality, heal minor injuries, and significantly speed up recovery time from exhaustion, all in a matter of minutes.

"Seems like something I should always have on hand," Ethan muttered to himself.

He decided to buy three of them and put them safely in his Inventory. Knowing they were ready for emergencies gave him a sense of preparedness he didn't realize he needed.

He scrolled through the Shop Panel, eyes lingering on the rows of unavailable potions. Strength, Speed, Endurance, Charisma, and Intelligence potions.

Each one greyed out. He tapped one of them anyway, almost on instinct, as if the system might change its mind just because he asked nicely.

Well, no luck.

'I wonder when these will be available again…'

He remembered the surge he felt the last time. It was addictive. Like glimpsing the best version of himself for a moment.

And now, with dozens of Ascension Points just sitting there, all he could do was wait.

The frustration tugged at him. Not anger, but it was more like that quiet disappointment when a door closes just before you reach it.

Still, he knew better than to dwell. The system had its own rules. He'd just have to be ready the moment it reopened that door.

Ethan stood up and walked to a large mirror in the corner of the room. He looked at his changes.

"I really look different," he muttered.

They were not very obvious, to him, just better posture and improved muscle tone than the last time he had undergone a major transformation.

The only thing that felt different was his face, but he could not tell what had really changed.

"Still, I'm really lucky."

Ethan worried that consuming potions or increasing the points for his physical attributes would make him bigger and bulkier, which he found less visually appealing.

But internally, Ethan could feel the transformation. The power, precision, and endurance coursing through him felt undeniable.

"This is already good," he said with a small grin. "I'll take this."

Ethan then shifted his focus to the Skills Panel, scrolling through the available options. His mind was thinking hard about what other skills he needed for the time being.

He needed to increase his chance of survival, and with that in mind, two specific skills caught his eye—Stealth and Tracking.

"Stealth helps me move in the shadow… Tracking will be able to help me use my whole senses to gather information," Ethan mused. "Can't go wrong with either."

He unlocked the Basic tiers for both survival skills, feeling a rush of information flooding into his mind. Techniques, memories, and strategies for both disciplines were suddenly at his disposal.

Although these were merely the fundamentals, the knowledge was exhilarating. Moreover, the system enabled him to fully master the basics, distinguishing him from average people.

Ethan then scrolled to his existing combat skills—Krav Maga, Close Quarters Combat, and Tactical Firearms.

After thinking for a moment, he chose to upgrade all of them. He decided to keep Stealth and Tracking at the Basic tier for now.

He only had enough Ascension Points for those upgrades.

The upgrades hit him in waves, each one more intense than the last. His mind was now filled with a better understanding of each skill. He learned more refined techniques and advanced strategies and felt more confident using them.

Ethan flexed his hands. He imagined how precise his strikes would be and how efficient his movements could be. He felt the confidence of a fighter who understood his skills.

"I can join Tarung now…" Ethan whispered to himself.

It was something similar to an MMA tournament.

He laughed, realizing he still had a lot to do, but was glad for the progress he had made.

After closing the panels, he leaned back in his chair.

He felt a powerful energy under his skin, ready to be used when needed.

"But not tonight," Ethan said as he looked at the clock on the desk. "Time to go to sleep. I haven't decided what to do tomorrow."