My Life Changed with the Unlimited System

Squad 9 crouched on the rocky outcrop, their high-tech binoculars trained on the vast expanse of Stonepeak Ridge. The ridge itself was a jagged scar on the landscape, its edges sharp and unforgiving, framed by the shadows of distant mountains.

But it wasn't the natural beauty of the terrain that held their attention—it was the sea of armies below, gathered like pieces on a grand chessboard.

The banners of Dalkorr, Darovyn, Syrelis, and Velkran fluttered in the wind, their colors stark against the grey stone and muted greens of the valley.

Soldiers moved in disciplined formations, their armor catching the dim light. At the same time, the rumble of heavy machinery echoed faintly in the distance. It was a sight that should have inspired awe, but instead, it carried an oppressive weight.

Elias adjusted the dials on his binoculars, the lenses humming faintly as they refocused. "This thing's incredible," he murmured, his tone tinged with curiosity. The binoculars weren't like anything he'd ever seen before—not from their own military, at least.

The sleek design, the way the lenses adjusted automatically, and the clarity of the display all hinted at technology far beyond their standard equipment.

"Where did he even get these?" Mara whispered, her own binoculars trained on a group of soldiers from Velkran unloading crates near a makeshift command post. "I keep up with every bit of tech our military develops, and these aren't ours. They're… too advanced."

Tanner snorted softly. "Maybe he pinched them from some black-market dealer. Wouldn't be the first time Captain Cole pulled something like that."

At that, Captain Cole, who had been observing silently from a few paces behind, straightened. He leaned casually against a rock, his expression unreadable. "What's that, Tanner?" he asked his tone as calm as a still lake but carrying the slightest edge.

Tanner froze, then coughed awkwardly. "Uh, nothing, sir."

Mara, emboldened by her curiosity, decided to press the question. "Captain, seriously, where did these come from? This isn't just advanced tech—it's something else entirely. It's too… advanced."

Captain Cole's gaze flicked toward her, his expression almost amused. "What? Do you think I'm stupid?" he asked his voice light but with a deliberate pause before his next words. "Do you think I couldn't come up with something like this myself?"

The silence that followed was telling. While no one dared to voice their doubts, the skeptical glances exchanged between Tanner, Mara, and Elias said enough.

Captain Cole didn't press the matter further. He simply shrugged as if their opinions mattered little to him and turned his attention back to the ridge.

Below, the valley seemed to shift as new troops poured in. Dalkorr's soldiers moved with grim efficiency, their heavy armor marking them as one of the most formidable forces in the region. Tanner scowled as his binoculars focused on the Dalkorr banners.

"Why haven't we been ordered to retreat?" he muttered, his voice laced with frustration. "Every one of those Dalkorrs was an asset to our country. And... this whole thing is a trap anyway."

Captain Cole didn't respond immediately. He continued to survey the scene, his sharp eyes taking in every movement.

When Tanner's muttering grew louder, Mara nudged him sharply in the ribs. "Quiet," she hissed. "He'll tell us when it's time."

Elias, however, noticed the tension in Captain Cole's posture—the slight tightening of his jaw, the way his fingers tapped idly against the binoculars.

It was subtle, but it spoke volumes to someone who had spent years in his company. Something was weighing heavily on their captain's mind.

Finally, Captain Cole let out a long breath and spoke, his voice low but firm. "I've already contacted the base," he said. "I told them everything. What we've seen, what we've heard, and what's likely waiting for us down there."

"And?" Tanner prompted, though his tone lacked his usual bravado.

"And they've made their decision," Captain Cole replied, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the gathering armies below. "They don't care if it's a trap."

Tanner blinked, incredulous. "What do you mean they don't care? If it's a trap, why aren't we pulling back? Why risk everyone's lives for—"

"Because," Captain Cole interrupted, his voice sharp enough to cut through Tanner's rant, "retreating would be worse. At least, in their eyes."

Elias frowned. "Worse, how?"

Captain Cole turned to face them fully now, his expression heavier than they'd ever seen. "Because if we retreat and this turns out not to be a trap, it'll tarnish the country's name. The world will see us as cowards—the ones who ran at the final moment."

"Cowards?" Tanner echoed, disbelief clear in his voice. "They'd really let us all die just to save face?"

"Yes," Captain Cole said simply, though the weight in his voice carried the truth like a blade. "They would. To them, soldiers are tools, not people. Tools to be used, broken, and discarded, if necessary. They'd rather risk everything than let the world laugh at them for showing weakness."

The silence that followed was deafening. Mara looked down, her expression a mixture of anger and resignation. Tanner muttered something under his breath, too low to hear. Only Elias seemed to meet Captain Cole's gaze, his mind turning over the implications.

"They knew," Elias said softly. "The base. They knew this was a trap, didn't they?"

Captain Cole nodded once, his jaw tightening. "They knew. But suspicion isn't enough to justify retreating. So here we are."

Tanner slammed a fist against the rock he'd been leaning on, his frustration boiling over. "This is madness. They're sending us to die for—what? To prove a point? To keep their pride intact?"

"No," Captain Cole said, his voice cold but calm. "We're not going to die, Tanner. Because if we fail—if we die—there'll be no one left to tell the truth of what happened here."

The weight of his words settled over them like a shroud. Below, the armies continued to gather, their numbers swelling with each passing hour. And above them, on their precarious perch, Squad 9 watched and waited, the truth of their captain's words sinking in.

The air was thick with an uneasy stillness when the sound came. It was not a sound that could be ignored, nor one that could be described as anything natural.

A deep, resonant horn blasted through the valley, its haunting cry reverberating off the jagged peaks of Stonepeak Ridge and sending shivers through every soul present.

The sheer force of it seemed to ripple through the ground itself, as though the earth was recoiling from some ancient and terrible power.

Squad 9 froze. Tanner, his binoculars still pressed to his eyes, was the first to break the silence. "W-what… what is that?" he stammered, his voice trembling as much as his hands.

Even Captain Cole, who rarely showed anything resembling fear, narrowed his eyes and tilted his head slightly as though trying to place the unearthly sound.

Below them, the armies of Dalkorr, Darovyn, Syrelis, and Velkran had fallen into chaos. Soldiers broke formation, looking around wildly, their disciplined movements shattered by confusion and dread.

"It's coming from the mountain," Tanner whispered, his voice barely audible but sharp enough to cut through the stunned silence. "There's… there's something at the foot of the mountain."

Mara and Elias immediately trained their binoculars on the spot, Tanner indicated, their breaths hitching as they adjusted the focus. And then they saw it.

At the base of the enormous, shadowed peak, a vast symbol had been drawn into the ground, its intricate lines glowing faintly with a pulsating crimson light.

The design was far too large to have been missed before—it sprawled across the landscape, its edges curling and twisting like the tendrils of some malevolent force.

It was a symbol none of them recognized, but its purpose was clear; it was a summoning mark etched with precision and intent.

"That wasn't there before," Mara said, her voice tinged with disbelief. "How could we not see that?"

"They used illusion," Captain Cole said simply, his tone steady but grave. "Or concealment. Something to hide it until they were ready."

Elias lowered his binoculars slowly, his face pale. "Illusion? Concealment? Sir, you're saying they used… magic?"

Captain Cole glanced at him, his expression calm but unreadable. "Call it what you will. But whatever it is, they've been using it to stay ahead of us. First teleportation, now this."

The three younger soldiers exchanged wide-eyed glances, their disbelief battling with the mounting evidence before them. Tanner let out a shaky laugh, though there was no humor in it. "This is too much," he muttered.

"Way too much. First teleportation, and now they're hiding giant glowing symbols in plain sight? What's next? Dragons?"

"Keep your focus, Tanner," Captain Cole said sharply, cutting through the rising panic. His tone left no room for argument, and Tanner snapped his binoculars back to his eyes, though his hands still trembled.

Mara lowered her own binoculars, her brow furrowed deeply. "If they have this kind of power," she said slowly, "then everything you've told us before—about things hidden, things kept secret—is all true, isn't it?"

For the first time, Captain Cole allowed a flicker of something like sympathy to cross his face. "You're starting to see it now," he said quietly. "This world isn't what we thought it was. It never was."

Elias swallowed hard, his mind racing as he tried to reconcile the impossible with the reality before him. He glanced back at the glowing symbol, the pulsating light seeming to grow stronger, more vivid with each passing moment.

"But why now?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "Why reveal it now?"

Captain Cole's gaze remained fixed on the mountain. "Because they're ready," he said grimly. "Whatever they've been planning, it's about to begin."

The weight of his words settled over them like a stone, the reality of their situation crashing down on them with undeniable force. For a moment, none of them spoke, their attention riveted to the ominous symbol and the armies below, now scrambling to make sense of the same revelation.

And then the horn sounded again—louder this time, deeper, as though it were calling not just to those gathered in the valley but to something far older, far darker, that lay beneath the surface of the world.

Mara clenched her fists, her heart pounding in her chest. "What do we do, Captain?" she asked, her voice steady despite the fear in her eyes.

"It's time to act," said Captain Cole in a grave tone.

***

Marie glanced sideways at Ethan, her lips twitching into a sly smile. "You're wondering what happened afterward, aren't you?" she teased, her tone dripping with mock innocence.

Ethan gave her a long, unimpressed stare. "Wondering is an understatement," he said flatly. "I'm trying to figure out how you all tell a story in the most unhelpful way possible."

Marie laughed, the sound light and teasing. "Oh, come on, Ethan. It's called dramatic flair. Keeps things interesting."

Ethan shook his head, muttering under his breath. "Interesting? More like confusing."

They walked in silence for a moment, the forest path narrowing slightly, the trees casting long shadows that danced in the afternoon light. Ethan's mind buzzed with questions, but he didn't have the energy to voice them all at once.

It wasn't until they rounded a bend and stepped into a clearing that his feet froze mid-step.

His mouth fell open, but no words came out.

"Ah," Marie said, her grin widening as she stopped beside him. "Now that's a proper reaction."

Ethan's gaze was fixed ahead, his mind struggling to process what he was seeing. What had been an unremarkable stretch of forest just moments ago was now dominated by an enormous, towering gate.

The structure loomed above them, its massive iron doors etched with ancient symbols that seemed to pulse faintly with a dark red glow. The surrounding stone frame was jagged, almost as if it had been carved out of the very earth itself.

"How—" Ethan finally managed, his voice barely above a whisper. "How did I not see this before? This… this thing was right here the whole time?"

"Ah, there it is," Marie said cheerfully, crossing her arms as if she'd been waiting for this exact reaction. "Illusion and concealment, my friend. Didn't you pay attention to the story?"

Ethan pointed at the gate, his voice rising slightly. "You mean to tell me this is that kind of magic? The stuff you said the enemies used?"

Marie gave an exaggerated shrug. "Well, they're not handing out brochures, but yeah, pretty much. It's all smoke and mirrors, Ethan. Except, you know, deadly."

Ethan frowned, his mind racing. He wasn't sure what unsettled him more—the gate itself or the casual way Marie seemed to talk about it. Another thought struck him, his eyes narrowing slightly. "So… this is where they came from. The demons, I mean."

Marie tilted her head, considering him for a moment. "You're catching on fast," she said, her tone almost approving. "Yep. This is it—the grand entrance to Demon Central. Pretty, isn't it?"

Ethan shot her a look that could have withered plants. "Pretty wouldn't be the word I'd use."

Marie laughed again, clearly enjoying his discomfort. "Come on," she said, gesturing for him to follow. "You'll get used to it. Or maybe not. Either way, you'll survive."
Stay tuned to My Virtual Library Empire

They walked toward the gate, the air growing heavier with each step. Ethan could feel it—an unnatural presence that made his skin crawl. As they drew closer, the faint hum of energy from the gate grew louder, like a low, pulsing heartbeat.

Ahead, two figures came into view. Elias leaned casually against a boulder, a thick leather-bound book open in his hands, its pages yellowed with age. Where he'd gotten the book, Ethan couldn't even begin to guess.

Celia stood a few feet away, her sharp eyes fixed on the gate, her expression focused and analytical.

Elias glanced up as they approached, his face breaking into a faint smirk. "Ah, Ethan," he said, snapping the book shut with a quiet thud. "Took your time, didn't you?"

"I'm sorry," Ethan shot back, his tone dry, "I got distracted by the giant demonic gate no one thought to mention."

Elias raised an eyebrow, clearly unbothered by Ethan's sarcasm. "You noticed it, then. Good. You're making progress."

Marie chuckled, patting Ethan on the back. "Don't take it personally, Ethan. He says that to everyone."

Celia turned her head slightly, her gaze shifting from the gate to Ethan. "You're here," she said simply, her tone as brisk as ever. "Good. There's a lot to discuss."

Ethan sighed, rubbing his temples. "Of course there is," he muttered. "There's always a lot to discuss." He glanced at Elias, then at the gate, then back at Elias. "And let me guess—you've been sitting here reading while she's been doing all the work?"

Elias gave him a lazy smile, holding up the book. "Research, Ethan. It's important."

Celia rolled her eyes. "It's a novel. Don't let him fool you."

Ethan groaned, letting his head fall back for a moment. "Why am I not surprised?"

From his spot by the boulder, Elias chuckled softly. "Welcome to the front lines, Ethan."

Author's Note:

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