Liam pushed through the front door of his home, in a plain white shirt and matching pants, the kind hospital patients wore and a stark reminder of how close he'd come to something far worse than a few scratches.
The thundering of footsteps echoed from upstairs as Yaela rushed down to the living room, her face lighting up the moment she saw him. Without hesitation, she threw her arms around him, and he pulled her close.
"Where have you been?" she demanded, pulling back to study his face with worried eyes. "I couldn't reach your phone. I thought something must've happened to you again." Her words trailed off as she took in his appearance, her gaze settling on the telltale white uniform. "Oh God, Liam! You were in a hospital? What happened?"
Liam offered what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "It's nothing, really. Just a work hazard."
"You call wrestling at the midnight circuit work?" Yaela's voice rose with frustration. "Weren't you supposed to take a break after the last time?"
"No, no," Liam said quickly, raising his hands to calm her growing annoyance. "The midnight circuit is under reconstruction, might be a while before it gets back on. When I said work hazard, I meant the USOV."
Yaela blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Well, I work with USOV now." Liam answered.
"What? USOV?" Her eyes widened. "Wait, isn't that the government agency for monsters?"
When Liam nodded, she shook her head in disbelief. "So you go from fighting people who behaved like monsters to fighting the monsters themselves? Do you have a death wish, Liam?"
Despite her concern, Liam couldn't help but chuckle. "Don't worry, Yae. It's really all good." She gave him a look that suggested she was far from convinced, shaking her head as they moved away from the heavier topic.
"Alright," she said with a sigh, "go get changed and come back down. I'm making pancakes."
Liam nodded. "Sounds perfect."
Once in the privacy of his room, Liam finally allowed himself to check the progress he'd made. The familiar interface materialized before him as he settled onto his bed.
[EVOLUTION SYSTEM – PLAYER: LIAM VELMONT]
Main Class: None
Sub-Class:
-Combatant
-Caster
-Transformation
Level: 3.05
Authority: Beast Tamer
HP: 1600 | MP: 2300 | STA: 2420
[STATS]
STR: 75 AGI: 60
CS: 45 PRC: 36
Stat Points Available: 5
[Skills]:
-Regeneration
-Contract Summoning
-Contract Borrowing Lv2
-Muscle Boost Lv1
-Unity Weaving Lv1
-Sovereign Hands Lv1
-Sonic Lv1
-Crit Hit Lv1
Passive Skill:
-Aegis
Inventory:
-Mystery Box (1)
Liam decided to hold off on distributing his stat points for now, focusing instead on examining his new abilities.
[Sonic —> User gains a 20% speed boost]
"Hm, so like the speed counterpart for Muscle Boost," he mused, then clicked on the next skill.
[Crit Hit —> 30% damage increase/Can be added to spells]
"That's just fantastic." A grin spread across his face. Things were definitely looking up. "And now this mystery box." He rubbed his palms together in anticipation and clicked on the item. A holographic box materialized, floating before him. When he touched it, the box opened to reveal a potion that pulsed with dark red magical energy.
[Tears of the Undying —> A potion made by the Greatest Spellcaster: It is able to bring the dead back to life at no cost]
"Goddamn!" however, before he could fully process the implications of possessing such a powerful item, a notification appeared.
[System is currently updating… 1%]
"Oh yeah, it mentioned an update was available." The percentage slowly climbed as he watched, and within minutes, the process completed.
[System Update Complete]
A new screen appeared, listing the changes:
[What's New?]
- Submission Quests are now optional
- Inclusion of Daily Quests to be completed within a 24-hour period
- You have unlocked main class —> The Limitless, and sub-class has been removed
- Class Skills will now be awarded.
Liam stared at the updates with mixed feelings. The submission quests being optional was a relief, but daily quests sounded like a hassle he wasn't eager to get into. The class change, however, intrigued him. "Limitless?" He clicked on the class description.
[Main Class: Limitless —> Player's growth is endless]
The simple description left him both exhilarated and slightly unnerved. Limitless growth sounded incredible, but it also suggested challenges he couldn't yet imagine. Anyways, he'd deal with all of that later, right now, he cared me for Yaela's pancakes.
...
Meanwhile, miles away in Addison village, Lenawee County, Michigan, the USOV agents had reached their destination. The convoy of black SUVs pulled up before a structure that seemed torn from a Gothic fairy tale, a dark cathedral mansion of black timber and stone, its elaborate spires reaching toward the overcast sky like grasping fingers. Ornate wooden tracery decorated towering pointed arches that framed windows glowing with warm, amber light. Intricate carved details covered every surface, while a stone balcony jutted from the upper level. The grand entrance sat beneath a soaring archway, its medieval grandeur both beautiful and foreboding.
Kent stepped out of the lead vehicle, his team following suit with practiced precision. He approached the entrance and knocked once. The massive door swung open almost immediately, revealing the woman they'd come to see.
The Black witch-Ophix stood in the doorway, her flowing black hair framing a face dominated by violet eyes that swept over each agent with calculating intensity. Her dark military-style coat was double-breasted with brass buttons and belted at the waist, a high-collared black shirt visible beneath. In her pale hand, she gripped an ornate staff topped with a glowing purple orb that pulsed with contained power.
Her lips curved into a devious smirk as she regarded the assembled agents. "I was just about to head out, so USOV, this better be worth it."
Kent's expression remained stoic, his glowing green eyes meeting her violet gaze without flinching. "Hello, Ophix."
At this moment, the tension in the air was somewhat palpable.