Ethan Cole - The Unlimited System

Ethan lay flat on his bed, eyes locked on the ceiling above. The plain white surface didn't have any cracks or stains, but somehow, it felt heavy, like it was pressing down on him. Maybe it was just his mind.

His chest rose and fell slowly, like every breath had to fight its way out.

There were too many thoughts racing through his head. Too many questions without answers. Too many changes happening too fast.

The past week didn't even feel real. It was like watching a movie, only he was in it, and there was no pause button.

He had received a mysterious system.

A screen that responded to him. Missions. Rewards.

Then money. Then more money.

However, what came after that was terrible. It was chaotic.

Everything snowballed from there.

He started a company without planning to. Got caught in a gunfight. Threw punches at thugs. Faced down a man like Donald, who probably wouldn't think twice about putting a bullet in someone's head.

And Jessica. Her family. The weight they carried. The mess her father left behind.

Ethan ran his hand over his face and let out a shaky breath.

"What the hell am I even doing?" he muttered.

The room stayed quiet. Only the sound of his own voice, small and tired, filled the space.

He turned slightly and stared at the ceiling again.

The Unlimited System. That was where it began. Something that should've been a blessing, a miracle. And maybe it was. But it didn't come with instructions for how to survive the pressure that followed.

He was grateful for it. But grateful didn't mean ready.

He felt like a normal person shoved into something meant for someone else. Someone braver. Smarter. Stronger.

He wasn't a fighter. He wasn't a leader. He wasn't even sure if he was the type to protect others. And yet, he was trying to do all three.

"Donald..." he whispered. The name alone made his stomach twist.

He sat up slowly, elbows on his knees, fingers laced in his hair. "If the LaRues are really behind him… then they already know. About what happened. About me."

That thought scared him more than anything.

Lucien.

Donald.

The LaRues.

The Five Ghosts.

The faces of the Five Ghosts came to him in quick flashes—memories sharpened by emotion.

Mark, with his surgical precision and unreadable calm. Maya, fierce and graceful, every move calculated for damage. Steve, loud and fearless, charging forward like nothing could stop him. Ezra, sharp-tongued but focused. And Yamal, quiet but watchful, like he saw more than he ever said.

They were all different. But one thing tied them together, they were experienced and hardened by life and death situations. They moved like people who had faced real danger before and had made it out alive countless times.

And now they were by his side. Not just as bodyguards or trainers, but as allies.

They were working together. Preparing for war against their first real enemy, the LaRue family.

'This is getting crazier over time. What do I know about the LaRue?'

Ethan's gaze dropped to the floor. The silence in the room made his doubts louder.

'Should I continue in this direction or should I stop and focus on a simpler life?' The thoughts crossed his mind. 'I can just live somewhere with my family, enjoying a peaceful life with the money I have.'

A week ago, he was just a guy who wanted to get out of debt. To give his family a better life.

He never planned to start a company.

He never asked for power.

And he definitely didn't expect to be part of something that looked and felt more like a secret war than a startup journey.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"I don't belong here," he muttered. "Not in their world. Not like this."

The words lingered in the air, heavier than he expected.

He wasn't one of them. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

And that truth—quiet, honest, and brutal—hit harder than anything else.

He wasn't ready for this kind of world. A world with rules written in blood, where kindness got you killed and hesitation got others hurt.

He clenched his fists, trying to hold on to something, anything that made sense.

But nothing did.

Then, Jessica's face flashed in his mind. Her eyes. The fear. The trust.

He wanted to protect her. He wanted to protect everyone.

But what did that even mean? Just wanting to protect someone didn't make you capable of it.

"This is too much for me to take," he said under his breath. His voice cracked a little. "I don't even know who I'm becoming."

There was silence again. Only the soft hum of the air conditioning, and his own thoughts eating at him from the inside.

"I have so much to learn," he said finally, his voice low, steady, but heavy. "But so little time."

Despite all that, of course, he didn't want to experience the life he used to have. Still, he felt amused by another fact.

Not having enough money was a problem.

Having unlimited money was a problem, too.

Ethan took a deep breath, forcing himself to sit up. He ran a hand through his hair.

"What should I do now?" he wondered.

He chose to open the Mission Panel on the system, noting the two active missions. Hiring twenty staff and transforming the Nova Tech office into something grand.

He stared at the panel for a moment, taking everything in.

=====
[4. Hire a Team]

Objective: Hire at least 20 people for Nova Tech.

Rewards:
1. 2,000 EXP
2. 10 Ascension Points

[5. Build a Grand Office]

Objective: Find and furnish an office space that reflects the grandeur of your new company.

Reward: Rewards will be unique and based on the grandeur achieved.

=====

Both missions were moving steadily. With how fast things had picked up, he was sure they'd be completed within a day or two—maybe even sooner if nothing went wrong.

Ethan leaned back against the wall and glanced at the glowing panels one last time. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Let's hope that office reward is something good," he murmured. "Maybe something I can actually use or quickly power me up."

He dismissed the panels and let the silence settle around him. The hum of the system faded, replaced by the quiet stillness of his room. Slowly, his thoughts drifted back to his last training session with Mark and Maya.

Their lessons were never easy. Maya was blunt, merciless, even. Mark was more measured, but just as demanding.

Both of them had drilled the same message into his head again and again; sensing your core, mastering your energy, and understanding how to feel the world before trying to change it.

Maya's voice echoed in his memory.

"Stop thinking of it as power. It's not something you grab. It's something you listen to. Like a breath under your skin. You feel it before you control it."

Ethan closed his eyes.

'Let's give it a try,' he thought.

He moved to the center of his room and sat cross-legged on the floor. His posture straightened as he settled in, hands resting lightly on his knees. He took a deep breath in through his nose, held it, then slowly exhaled through his mouth.

He repeated that again, and again. Until the tension began to melt off his shoulders.

It wasn't easy. His mind was restless.

Even now, part of him was still thinking about Lucien, about Jessica's safety, about the LaRue family, and what would happen next. But with each breath, the noise dulled. The edge softened. And then, for just a moment, there was quiet.

Not around him—but within.

He focused on the center of his chest, the spot Mark had pointed out during their last session.

"That's where the Ascendant Core forms," Mark had said. "It's not muscle. It's not bone. It's something more... subtle. Like a second heartbeat you haven't learned to hear yet."

Ethan breathed again, slower this time. And he imagined it, his energy folding inwards. Not flaring up like a fire, but condensing like mist into a drop of light.

And then he felt it.

A flicker. A pulse. Small and fleeting, but unmistakable. Like something had stirred deep inside him. Not enough to be called power. Not yet. But enough to remind him it was real.

Ethan opened his eyes slowly and let out a soft breath.

'I felt it for a moment,' Ethan sighed inwardly. 'I wonder if the system is actually planning me for this?'

Ethan wondered if being an Ascendant was meant for him, as he had not received any mission related to it. Did he need to receive a mission first, or could he chart his own path?

'I'm using my head way too much now.' He chuckled at the thought.

He recalled that Mark had mentioned his physique was already good enough to start developing the core since it had surpassed the standard.

Ethan wondered what would happen if he managed to form the Ascendant Core if his attributes were higher than they currently were.

He opened up the panel. It appeared immediately in front of him.

=====

[Status Panel]

Name: Ethan Cole

Level: 5

EXP: 14000 / 15000

Ascension Points: 0

Wealth: Unlimited

Physical Stats:

Strength: 47

Speed: 47

Endurance: 47

Intelligence: 46

Charisma: 46

=====

'All are nearing 50 points...' Ethan thought. 'I'll receive 10 Ascension Points when I complete the hiring mission. But I don't have any more potions that I could buy.'

His hope now rested on the rewards he would receive upon completing the office mission. If those rewards included an increase in points for all attributes, that would be ideal.

Once that occurred, he could concentrate on forming the core.

"I just need to wait, then," Ethan said, trying to comfort himself.

Ethan closed the panel and breathed out slowly, feeling the weight of everything he had been through.

He shook his head and lay back on the bed, closing his eyes.

Tomorrow would bring new challenges, and he was ready to face them.

However, just outside of his house, a figure in a long, dark cloak blended into the shadows of the moonlit night.

The guards patrolling the area did not notice the figure; their sharp eyes swept past without stopping.

The figure's hood obscured the face, but the faint glint of piercing eyes shone briefly beneath the fabric as they stared at the grand house before them.

A low, almost inaudible voice broke the silence, each word deliberate, carrying an eerie weight.

"Ethan Cole… your time is running out."

The figure stood still for a moment. Then, with a soft rustling sound, they disappeared into the darkness, leaving no sign of being there.

The night remained calm, but the air carried a subtle shift as though the threads of fate had been stirred.

Inside, Ethan was slowly getting carried in his sleep, unaware that unseen eyes had already marked him.