I Am a Hero With A Hundred Abilities-Chapter 13: Ch 12. Ethan vs Alpha

The Alpha Lupir had not always been a ruler of the pack. Once, it had been nothing more than a wandering beast—roaming the lands, feeding when it could, fighting when it had to.

Then came the day it challenged an old, fading Alpha.

The previous Alpha had once been strong, but age had dulled its claws and slowed its fangs. It could no longer defend its place at the top.

The battle was over quickly—the young challenger tore out the old wolf's throat and howled its victory to the skies.

From that moment on, everything belonged to it.

The pack. The territory. The females. Everything.

Yet, for reasons unknown even to itself, it spared a frail cub—the offspring of the former Alpha.

A decision that made no sense in the world of beasts. Perhaps pity? Perhaps instinct?

But when the Alpha sired its own offspring, it ensured they would never be outdone.

It hunted tirelessly, bringing back the finest cuts of meat for its cubs. It watched them grow strong and fierce.

One day, they would inherit its strength and its rule.

Yet now...

The cubs it had meticulously raised, the ones it had fed the best meat, had been slaughtered.

And the weak, pathetic creature responsible stood right before it.

For the past month, the Alpha and its pack had noticed these strange, frail creatures that had begun appearing out of nowhere.

They had been hunting them, killing them, ripping them apart for sport.

But now, it realized these creatures were not prey.

They were vermin. Filth. A lesser species that did not know its place.

The Alpha's eyes burned with pure, unfiltered rage.

The only thing in its primal, underdeveloped mind was how to tear Ethan apart, how to make his death slow and agonizing.

Ethan, standing firm with his dagger outstretched, exhaled steadily.

"Alright..." he muttered.

He just had to hold out long enough. Then it would be his win.

Reaching into his storage ring, he pulled out a small, round pill and popped it into his mouth.

Instantly, a cool mint flavor spread across his tongue.

An Endurance Enhancement Pill.

Exactly what he needed.

Because this fight... was about to get ugly.

The Alpha Lupir lunged with a blur of muscle and claws.

Ethan barely had time to react before the first swipe came for his legs—aiming to cripple his mobility.

He twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the strike, but the Alpha was relentless.

Another clawed strike carved through the air, this time at his other leg.

Ethan jumped back just in time.

Then came a barrage—each swipe meant to tear muscle, break bones, rip tendons apart.

Ethan dodged, ducked, sidestepped—his reflexes sharpened by the Endurance Pill.

It didn't just boost his stamina, it heightened his senses, increased his speed, and strengthened his muscles.

But even with those boosts, he was barely keeping up.

Why isn't the full effect kicking in yet?

The Alpha snarled as its frustration grew. It wanted blood.

And then—

It tilted its head back and howled.

But this wasn't just a howl.

This was Predator's Dominion.

A rare trait of Apex Beasts. It took time to charge, but when released, it paralyzed any creature lower on the food chain—a command written into the very fabric of nature.

Ethan's entire body locked up.

His limbs froze mid-movement, his breath hitched, and his heartbeat pounded in his ears.

Then the Alpha attacked.

It started with his arms—a deep gash tearing through his left forearm, then another across his right.

His legs came next—razor-sharp claws slicing through flesh and muscle, leaving jagged wounds.

Each strike was measured, and deliberate.

Not to kill.

To torture.

Ethan had died countless times since coming to the Ruinborn Expanse, but each death had been quick.

This wasn't quick.

This was pain. Raw, merciless pain.

His own blood coated him, dripping onto the stone floor, and pooling beneath him.

His vision blurred, and his breath came ragged.

If not for the Endurance Pill, he would have died ten times over.

Instead, the pill was keeping him alive—just long enough to suffer.

Why the hell isn't it taking effect yet?!

The Alpha snarled, stepping back to deliver the final blow—its fangs bared, ready to rip out Ethan's throat.

Then—

It froze.

Its body convulsed.

Blood gushed from its mouth.

Its muscles locked, and its breath hitched.

Ethan, barely holding on, managed a weak smirk.

"Finally..." he muttered.

Ethan had always had a way of defeating the Lupir.

Poison.

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It was a simple truth—the weak had always used it to bring down the strong.

But the Lupir weren't so easily fooled.

Their keen sense of smell had always allowed them to detect the threat in time, avoiding the poison before it could take effect.

They would retreat, wait for it to disperse, and then return to finish the job.

But this time was different.

This time, the beasts were blind—or more like sensory-drunk on the sheer rage and bloodlust they felt toward Ethan.

It was a gambit—a reckless one.

But one that had paid off.

The thick smoke from earlier finally began to fade, revealing the battlefield.

Scattered across the ground were barely breathing beasts, their powerful bodies weakened and twitching.

The Alpha's gaze flickered, realization setting in.

Why hadn't the rest of the pack joined the attack?

It was because they were fighting their own losing battle.

The Alpha turned back to Ethan—the source of all this.

A single creature had brought them all to this state.

It had underestimated him.

And now, it was about to pay the price.

Yet, despite the rage that should have consumed it, a small relief settled in.

At the very least, it had avenged its offspring.

But that relief shattered when it met Ethan's eyes.

There was no despair.

No regret.

Only pure satisfaction.

The kind of satisfaction that came from finally achieving a goal—one that had been denied over and over again.

The Alpha did not understand.

And that lack of understanding left it feeling... unsatisfied.

Then, its breath stilled.

Its body slumped.

And it died.

—

[System Notification]

You have obtained 0.001 Ability Fragments (x19).

You have obtained 1,000 points (x19).

—

The Alpha's body went cold.

And then—

[System Notification]

You have obtained 0.001 Ability Fragment.

You have obtained 5,000 points.

—

Ethan grinned through the pain.

With these rewards, he wouldn't stagnate.

He would continue growing.

But his victory came at a cost.

The adrenaline that had kept him standing finally faded.

His body—riddled with wounds, torn apart, bleeding out—collapsed.

As the world darkened, he managed a weak chuckle.

"Hope I don't get used to constantly dying."

Then, everything faded to black.