My Life Changed with the Unlimited System

Ethan frowned, leaning against a nearby tree, his mind whirling with thoughts he couldn't quite pin down. "So, what are we now? Some kind of demon slayers?" he quipped, raising an eyebrow.

Marie burst into laughter, the sound echoing lightly through the clearing. "Demon slayer, huh? That's a new one!"

Even Elias and Celia couldn't suppress their smirks, though Celia quickly masked hers behind her usual calm demeanor.

Ethan crossed his arms, a crooked smile on his face. "Alright, so who's carrying the narrative torch this time? Is it you, Marie? Elias? Or maybe you, Celia? I wouldn't mind another round of overly dramatic storytelling."

Elias shrugged casually, his gaze shifting to Marie. "I think Marie left off at the concealment and the summoning mark on the mountain. Wouldn't you agree?"

Marie tilted her head, her grin widening. "Guilty as charged. I did leave it on a cliffhanger."

Ethan nodded, looking between them. "Alright then, what happened next? You know, when you don't have memories of your own, it's not the worst thing in the world to hear about someone else's life. Makes things feel... fuller, I guess."

Marie's expression softened, her usual teasing glint giving way to something more thoughtful. She glanced at Elias, who gave her a small nod before turning back to Ethan. "Well then," she said, her voice steady but tinged with a sense of anticipation. "Let's pick up where we left off."

Before Marie could start, Elias raised a hand, cutting her off with a faint smile. "Maybe I should take it from here," he said. "It's my turn to spin the tale, and I promise to keep it... immersive."

Marie shrugged, amused. "Fine by me, storyteller. Just don't mess it up."

Elias chuckled softly, leaning against the boulder with a practiced ease.

"Now then," he began, his voice dropping into the low, resonant tone he used whenever he told a story, "right after we spotted the summoning mark, the sky above us turned dark. Not night-dark, mind you, but a deep, unnatural black. Like ink spilled across the heavens."

Celia shivered visibly, crossing her arms. "I always get goosebumps when you tell this part," she muttered.

Elias shot her a knowing glance before continuing. "Without warning, a bolt of blood-red lightning tore through the clouds. It didn't just strike the mountain—it split it. But instead of crumbling into rubble, the peak was... replaced. That's when we first saw it."

He gestured dramatically toward the towering structure before them. "The gate. This gate."

Ethan frowned, his gaze tracing the ominous outline of the massive edifice. "It's... massive," he muttered, the words barely escaping his lips.

The gate loomed, an overwhelming fusion of black and gold. Its intricate carvings glinted faintly, radiating a mix of grandeur and menace. The structure was divided into layers, each a gate within a gate.

At the very center was the smallest segment, modestly sized as if meant for a single human. Surrounding it were larger sections, each progressively more immense, with the outermost gate towering high enough for a giant to stride through effortlessly.

"Why so many gates?" Ethan asked, his voice breaking the heavy silence.

Elias sighed, his brow furrowing. "We think the gates correspond to the status of the demons they release. So far, only the innermost gate has opened, and from it have come lesser demons—foot soldiers, imps, and the occasional Demon Knight. But... that's something we'll get to later."

Elias continued, "The moment the gates appeared, they didn't stay closed for long. All of them opened—every segment."

Ethan stiffened. "All of them? Even the massive ones?"

"All of them," Elias confirmed. His tone darkened. "What came next was worse. A blood-red light spilled out, streaking across the battlefield like living fire. It wasn't just light, though. It... took something."

Celia's voice, low and steady, broke the silence. "Their souls."

Elias nodded again, his face grim. "More than half the soldiers there dropped where they stood. Whatever that light was, it didn't kill them outright. It left their bodies behind, but their souls... gone."

The clearing fell silent, the weight of his words settling heavily over them. Ethan's eyes flicked back to the gate, its carved surface pulsing faintly with that same crimson glow, and he couldn't suppress the chill that crept down his spine.

Ethan leaned forward, his brow furrowed. "What happened after that? The gate, the light—what did you do?"

Elias exhaled slowly, his gaze fixed on the gate as though he could still see the events unfolding before him. "That's when we knew," he said quietly. "We'd been lured into a trap—a perfect, deadly trap, laid out by the Feroshian."

Celia folded her arms tightly, shivering slightly. "I can't imagine what it must have felt like," she murmured.

Marie nodded, though her expression was harder to read. "It sounds like something out of a nightmare," she added. Discover more stories at My Virtual Library Empire

Elias glanced at them briefly, acknowledging their words with a slight nod before continuing. "The soldiers who survived—the few who weren't caught by the red light—were in chaos. Some were frozen in terror; others broke ranks entirely, running toward the mountains or back the way we'd come. The air was thick with screams and panic. It was a battlefield turned graveyard in moments."

"And Captain Cole?" Ethan asked.

Elias's lips pressed into a thin line, his expression distant. "He didn't waver. Not even for a second. While others froze, he stepped forward, straight into the chaos. I'll never forget the way he looked—calm, calculating, as though he'd seen this kind of thing before."

"He started barking orders, pulling what was left of our forces back into a defensive line. His voice cut through the noise like a blade. 'Get up! Form ranks! Protect the wounded!' That kind of thing. He didn't let anyone crumble under the pressure."

Ethan tilted his head. "And the rest of you? Squad 9?"

Elias gave a faint smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. "We did what we always did—followed his lead. Mara and I worked on ensuring everyone followed his orders while Tanner watched. He was always on edge, muttering about how 'this wasn't natural.' And he was right, of course. Nothing about it was natural."

He paused, his gaze hardening as his memories sharpened. "But it was the way Captain Cole stood there, staring at that gate... I knew he wasn't just thinking about our survival. He was studying it. He wanted to understand it—to figure out what was coming next. That's who he was. A strategist, even in the face of death."

Marie let out a low whistle. "I would've lost it," she said, shaking her head. "Standing there, watching something like that unfold? No way."

Celia nodded silently, her eyes fixed on Elias, though she didn't speak.

Elias continued, his tone heavy. "The gate stayed open for what felt like an eternity, and the red light... it didn't stop. Every few seconds, another wave would strike, pulling more soldiers down. It was like the gate itself was alive, feeding on the fear and chaos it had created."

"What did you think it was?" Ethan asked, his voice quiet but insistent.

Elias's expression darkened, his voice lowering as he recounted the next part. "According to Captain Cole, the red light was no accident. It wasn't just an attack—it was a ritual. A sacrifice. He said the gate—or whatever controlled it—was feeding on human souls, using them as fuel. Maybe to power itself or to summon what came next."

Ethan frowned but didn't interrupt, though questions swirled in his mind.

Elias's eyes narrowed, his tone growing sharper. "That was when the worst happened. The gate didn't just take—it gave. Demons poured out, one after another. The first ones were small, almost grotesque imps with razor-sharp claws and jagged teeth. But they were fast. Too fast for most of the soldiers to react."

He clenched his fists, the memory visibly haunting him. "Then came the bigger ones—hulking brutes with twisted horns and eyes that glowed like molten metal. Their skin was thick, almost like armor, and their strength was... unreal. They didn't just kill. They tore through us like we were nothing. It wasn't a battle—it was a massacre."

Marie, who had been silent, muttered, "I can't even imagine..." She trailed off, shaking her head.

Elias glanced at her briefly but continued speaking. "Back then, we didn't know anything about Ascendants. While our strengths were greater than those of ordinary people, none of us understood how to wield Ascendant Energy. Nobody did. The idea that someone could fight back against something like that... it was unheard of."

He hesitated, his gaze flicking toward Ethan as though weighing his next words. "But Captain Cole wasn't like the rest of us. He was already an Ascendant. A strong one, at that."

Ethan's brow furrowed, a question forming on his lips, but he stopped himself, choosing to listen.

Elias's voice steadied, his tone almost reverent. "That was the first time Tanner, Mara, and I saw just how strong he was. While the rest of us scrambled to stay alive, a few brave soldiers managed to fire back. They shot everything they had—bullets, cannons, even grenades. Some of it worked, but most of it... didn't. At best, it left scratches. At worst, it did nothing at all."

He leaned forward slightly, his eyes gleaming as if reliving the moment. "Then Captain Cole stepped in. He didn't hesitate, didn't falter. He moved like he'd been waiting for this—like he understood how to fight creatures from another world. And when he struck..."

***

The battlefield was chaos, a cacophony of screams, roars, and the relentless clash of steel against unyielding demon flesh. Yet amidst it all, Captain Cole soared high into the air, a streak of golden light cutting through the oppressive darkness.

For a moment, everyone froze. Even the soldiers of Dalkorr, seasoned warriors known for their stoicism, stared in stunned disbelief. Captain Cole wasn't just strong—he was flying.

"What in the world are we watching?" Tanner muttered, his voice barely audible over the chaos.

Mara crouched beside him and shook her head, her expression a mix of awe and fear. "I don't know. I really don't know."

Elias couldn't even muster words. His grip tightened on his weapon as he watched Captain Cole hover above them, radiant and unyielding, as if daring the demons to challenge him.

Then, without warning, three golden vials glinted in the air, tumbling toward them. One landed at Tanner's feet, another near Mara, and the third rolled to a stop in front of Elias.

Captain Cole's voice rang out above the din, commanding and unyielding. "Consume them! Now! Don't hesitate!"

Elias stared at the vial, his hands trembling slightly. It shimmered with a golden liquid, almost alive, swirling faintly as though it held some unimaginable power.

Mara glanced at Elias, her eyes wide. "What... what is this? Do we trust him?"

Tanner picked him up, turning it over in his hands. "I've seen a lot of strange things today, but this?"

Elias swallowed hard, his gaze darting to Captain Cole, who was now engaged in a furious battle with the demons, his every movement a display of inhuman strength and speed.

"He wouldn't have thrown them to us if they weren't important," Elias said finally, his voice steady despite the chaos around them. "He wants us to survive."

They hesitated for only a moment longer before uncorking the vials. The liquid glowed faintly as they drank, warm and strange as it slid down their throats.

None of them knew what would happen next, but they chose to believe in Captain Cole.

Elias was the first to move. He clutched the golden vial tightly, his heart pounding. He trusted Captain Cole, and if this vial was their only hope, he wouldn't hesitate. With a deep breath, he uncorked it and drank the shimmering liquid in one swift motion.

The change was immediate. His body erupted in searing heat, a burning sensation spreading through every vein. He staggered for a moment, clutching his chest, his breaths coming in short gasps. "What... what is this?" he whispered, though no one could hear him.

According to Mara, when they spoke of this later, his body had begun to glow—a vivid green aura radiating from his skin like a beacon in the chaos. At the time, Elias was too overwhelmed to notice.

When the glow subsided, he stood still, his body trembling but alive with energy. That was when it happened—a rush of knowledge poured into his mind, not like learning, but like remembering something he'd always known.

He could suddenly recall the concept of Ascendants, the techniques to wield their powers, and the instincts to fight as one.

"What... is happening?" Elias murmured, stunned. His thoughts raced. None of this made sense, yet it all felt natural, as though it belonged to him.

But he had no time to dwell on it. The green glow had drawn the attention of nearby demons, their grotesque forms turning toward him with guttural growls.

Fear gripped him for a moment—his hands trembling slightly as he saw the monsters closing in. But then his newfound memories surfaced, urging him to act.

This is real. You can do this, a voice in his mind seemed to say.

He turned and ran—but not like before. His speed was breathtaking. With a single stride, he covered several meters, his movements so fluid and fast that even he could barely comprehend it. He closed the distance between himself and the nearest demon in an instant.

His fist tightened instinctively, the energy coursing through his body, guiding him. With all his strength, he launched a punch toward the creature's head.

The result was shocking. The demon's head exploded in a burst of black ichor, its body collapsing to the ground with a sickening thud. Where bullets, grenades, and cannons had failed, his bare fist had succeeded.

For a moment, Elias froze, staring at his blood-soaked hands, his stomach churning. The stench of demon blood was overpowering, and nausea rose in his throat. He bent forward, ready to retch, when a voice snapped him back to reality.

"Get it together, Elias!" Captain Cole's voice rang out, sharp and commanding. "There's no time to waste! Fight now—ask questions later. I'll explain everything once we survive this!"

Elias straightened, his fists clenching once more. The fear lingered, but it was tempered by something stronger; purpose. He nodded silently to himself, steeling his resolve.

The battle wasn't over—not by a long shot.

Author's Note:

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