My Life Changed with the Unlimited System

The town lay in silence, its streets deserted save for the faint shuffle of leaves in the cool night breeze.

On the rooftops of three separate buildings, Elias, Mara, and Tanner crouched like shadows, each with their eyes fixed on the warehouse below.

The air was thick with tension, the kind that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand on end.

They were connected by a means of communication that might, to a modern observer, resemble an outdated walkie-talkie. The devices were small and battered, with faint, intermittent crackles of static that whispered across the quiet.

But these were no ordinary radios—they operated on a frequency known only to their squad, immune to interception.

When Elias recounted this tale to Marie and Celia, he called them "ancient relics," though Tanner had pointed out that they seemed indestructible, which was more than he could say for their nerves.

Mara's voice broke the silence, and there was a soft crackle of sound in Elias and Tanner's earpieces. "Any movement?" she asked, though it was clear she already knew the answer.

"Nothing," Elias replied, his voice low and steady. "Not a soul in or out for the last two hours."

"Same here," Tanner added, a faint hint of boredom creeping into his tone. "If something doesn't happen soon, I might just fall asleep up here."

There was a pause, then Mara's voice returned, this time carrying a note of curiosity. "Where do you think Captain Cole is? Shouldn't he be checking in by now?"

Neither Tanner nor Elias answered immediately. It wasn't unusual for Captain Cole to move independently, but his absence now—at a moment like this—was unsettling.

"Maybe he's waiting for the right time," Elias suggested, though his tone was more thoughtful than certain. "You know how he operates. Always a step ahead."

Tanner chuckled, his voice laced with humor as he chimed in. "Or maybe," he said, stretching the words out as if savoring the joke, "he's planning on taking down the whole warehouse by himself. You know, swooping in like some—"

"Wait," Tanner's voice cut off abruptly, the humor vanishing in an instant. "He's moving."

"Who?" Mara and Elias said in unison, their voices sharp with disbelief.

"Captain Cole," Tanner replied, his tone urgent now. "He's moving. Toward the warehouse."

For a moment, none of them spoke. Elias adjusted his position, squinting through his scope to confirm what Tanner had said.

Sure enough, there he was—Captain Cole, unmistakable in his precise, deliberate movements, heading directly for the warehouse.

Mara's voice came through again, this time filled with shock. "He's actually going there. Alone."

Tanner exhaled sharply. "No way. That's not him. Cole doesn't do bold. He's the one who always says, 'Caution is the key to survival.' What is he thinking?"

Elias didn't respond immediately, his gaze fixed on their captain. "I don't know," he said finally, his voice quieter now. "But whatever it is, he's not going in without a reason."

The three of them watched in stunned silence as Captain Cole disappeared into the shadows near the warehouse, his figure blending seamlessly into the dark. Even from their vantage points, they could feel the weight of the moment pressing down on them.

"Do we follow?" Tanner asked, though his voice wavered slightly.

Elias shook his head though none of them could see it. "Not yet. Let's see what he's up to first."

Mara muttered something under her breath that might have been a prayer or a curse—it was hard to tell.

None of them could make sense of it, but one thing was certain: Captain Cole was about to do something none of them had seen him do before.

And there he was.

The stillness shattered in an instant. The warehouse erupted in bursts of fire and smoke, the sharp crack of explosions splitting the night air.

Flashes of light illuminated the darkened streets as the sounds of gunfire echoed through the town, mingled with frantic shouts that carried a raw, desperate edge.

Elias, Mara, and Tanner froze in place, their eyes wide as they watched the chaos unfold. It was as if the warehouse itself had become a battlefield, every corner alive with movement and noise.

For a moment, none of them could speak, their minds struggling to process what they were seeing.

"What the—" Tanner began, but his words were cut off by another deafening explosion, the force of which sent a plume of smoke billowing into the night sky.

And then, through the smoke and fire, they saw him.

Captain Cole emerged from the shadows, his movements calm and deliberate, as if he were walking through a training exercise rather than the aftermath of a deadly assault.

His figure was unmistakable, every step radiating authority and control. His coat billowed slightly in the residual heat, and though they couldn't see his expression clearly, there was no mistaking the intensity in his stride.

Before the three of them could even move, his voice rang out through the device, cutting through the chaos like a blade. "You three, down here. Now."

It wasn't a shout, but it carried such weight and command that they found themselves moving before they even realized it.

Tanner scrambled down first, muttering under his breath, "I don't know whether to be impressed or terrified."

Mara followed quickly, her face pale but resolute, while Elias took a moment to scan the scene one last time before joining them.

Whatever had just happened inside that warehouse, one thing was clear: Captain Cole hadn't gone in blindly.

When they reached him, his expression was unreadable, but his tone left no room for argument. "We're moving. Now. I'll explain on the way."

None of them dared to ask what had just unfolded. The sight of their captain walking out of an inferno was explanation enough—for now.

The town was eerily quiet as they moved through its narrow streets. Not the kind of quiet born of abandonment or fear, but the practiced, deliberate silence of a place that understood what needed to be done in wartime.

Shutters were drawn tight, and lanterns were dimmed, casting long, uncertain shadows on the cobblestones. Captain Cole led the way, his pace brisk and purposeful, while Elias, Mara, and Tanner followed, their steps heavy with questions none of them dared to voice.

It didn't take long to reach the inn where they'd left their belongings. The innkeeper gave them a fleeting glance from behind a barely opened door but said nothing. He knew better than to ask questions.

Inside, the squad moved quickly, packing with the kind of efficiency born of habit. Words were unnecessary—each of them knew their role, and their movements were smooth and practiced.

When they left the inn, the street outside was just as silent, the town seeming to hold its breath. It wasn't until they had crossed its outer edge and stepped into the shadow of the surrounding forest that Captain Cole finally broke the silence.

"We've been fooled," he said abruptly, his voice low but firm, as though delivering a verdict.

Tanner frowned, his confusion breaking through before he could stop himself. "Fooled? What do you mean, sir—?"

Captain Cole didn't turn, his eyes fixed straight ahead. "The enemy knew we were here," he said, his tone calm, though his words carried an undeniable weight. "They wanted us here. Watching. Waiting. Gathering their movements. It was all part of their plan."

The three of them exchanged startled glances, and Elias felt a knot tighten in his stomach. He believed he had collected crucial intelligence and was convinced he was aiding the squad.

Now, the thought that his actions might have played directly into the enemy's hands sent a chill through him. "They wanted us to see it?" he asked quietly, his voice filled with disbelief.

"Yes," Cole replied without hesitation. "Everything you observed, everything you thought you uncovered—it was deliberate. They wanted you to think you were uncovering their plans."

"But why?" Elias pressed, confusion etched on his face. "Why go through so much trouble just to keep us here?"

"Not us... But Captain Cole..." chimed Mara in realization.

For a moment, Captain Cole didn't respond. His steps were steady, his posture as composed as ever.

Then, Tanner spoke up, his voice tinged with a nervous sort of humor. "Sir, you're just a captain. No offense, but… why would they bother going to all this trouble for you?"

The words hung in the air, heavy with implication. Mara, Elias, and Tanner exchanged uneasy glances, the same thought dawning on all of them. They had heard the stories, of course—tales whispered among soldiers of Captain Richard Cole's legendary feats.
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He was the man who had outmaneuvered entire battalions, who had turned desperate battles into victories with tactics no one else could imagine. But those were just stories, weren't they? Exaggerations? Myths built up over time?

Now, in the quiet of the forest, with Captain Cole's measured steps leading the way, those tales seemed to carry a weight they hadn't before.

Mara finally voiced the question lingering in all their minds. "Sir… is there something about you we don't know?"

Captain Cole stopped abruptly, turning to face them. His expression was unreadable, his sharp gaze cutting through the dim light like a blade. "There are things I've done," he said slowly, "and things I know that aren't in my file. That's all you need to understand."

He turned away again, his voice calm but leaving no room for argument. "What matters now is that the enemy feared what we might do next. That fear is our advantage, and we'll use it."

The three of them fell silent, their questions lingering but unspoken. Captain Cole's words offered no comfort, only a reminder of how little they truly knew about the man leading them.

Elias couldn't keep the question to himself any longer. His confusion was evident as he fell into step beside Captain Cole. "Sir, about the warehouse," he began hesitantly. "What exactly happened? Did you… get everyone?"

Captain Cole didn't respond immediately. His gaze remained fixed on the path ahead, his face unreadable in the dim light filtering through the forest canopy. When he finally spoke, his tone was measured as though he was choosing his words carefully.

"The main targets weren't there," he said simply.

Elias frowned. "What do you mean, 'they weren't there'? We had every angle of the warehouse covered. Surveillance cameras, every possible vantage point—we didn't see anything. Not even a flicker of movement."

Captain Cole took a deep breath, his shoulders rising and falling as though he carried the weight of the world. "Maybe this is something you've never encountered before," he said, his voice steady but grave. "They got out."

Tanner, walking just behind them, let out a short laugh, disbelief clear in his voice. "Come on, Captain, you're kidding, right? Got out? Without us noticing? We'd have seen something—anything."

"They used teleportation," Captain Cole said bluntly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

The words hung in the air, heavy and surreal. For a moment, none of them spoke. Elias and Mara stopped in their tracks, their faces reflecting equal parts shock and incredulity.

Tanner, on the other hand, barked out another disbelieving laugh, shaking his head as if trying to dispel what he'd just heard.

"Teleportation?" Tanner repeated, the word dripping with skepticism. "You can't be serious, Captain. That's—what? Magic? Science fiction? How does something like that even exist here?"

Captain Cole turned to face them, his expression unyielding. "Tanner," he said quietly, his voice carrying an edge of authority, "everything you've seen in your life isn't everything there is to see. There's more—hidden, kept secret, monopolized. Some things you only learn about when you're forced to confront them."

Mara glanced at Elias, her brow furrowed as though trying to gauge whether he was as stunned as she was. Elias, meanwhile, felt his mind racing.

The pieces of the puzzle didn't fit, but there was no mistaking the seriousness in Captain Cole's tone. This wasn't a joke, not to him.

Captain Cole sighed heavily, running a hand over his face as though the conversation itself was a burden. "You'll understand more when we reach Stonepeak Ridge," he said finally. "If you think this is strange, you haven't seen anything yet." He turned and began walking again, his steps steady and deliberate.

Elias, Mara, and Tanner followed in silence, their minds buzzing with questions they didn't dare ask. The forest around them seemed darker now, as though the weight of what they had just heard had seeped into the air itself.

For Elias, the captain's words weren't just unsettling—they were a glimpse into a larger world he hadn't known existed. And somehow, he knew that whatever awaited them at Stonepeak Ridge would challenge everything he thought he understood about this war—and the world itself.

Author's Note:

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