I Am a Hero With A Hundred Abilities-Chapter 52: Ch 51. Last Stand

The Sentinel approached Sophia with thunderous steps, each one leaving deep dents in the floor. Sophia immediately shifted into a battle stance, her sword poised over her elbow, ready to fight.

Meanwhile, Richard lay on the ground, struggling to get up. He knew Sophia couldn't defeat the Sentinel—it had the strength of an Overlord, while she was merely a Master.

Gritting his teeth, Richard thought desperately, 'Come on... I can't let it end like this.'

He forced himself up onto one knee, refusing to watch his daughter fight alone.

'How could the great Detonotus stand by while his daughter battles for him?'

With fierce resolve, Richard pushed to his feet, shouting, {"CREPITUS!"}

The ground around him exploded with power. Richard had unleashed his Mythic Ability, no longer caring about the backlash on his body.

If he had to break himself to win, so be it. Meta essence and explosive aura surged around him like a storm.

The Sentinel, its arm outstretched to grab Sophia, suddenly froze as Richard disappeared and reappeared before it in a flash.

The Sentinel swung a massive fist, but Richard's hand moved—slowly, yet impossibly surely—and landed on its chest first.

"You'll remember this in your next life...." Richard said coldly.

A contained explosion, stronger than ten nuclear bombs, detonated inside the Sentinel. Its body ruptured, steaming and tearing apart, regeneration unable to keep up.

"....Never mess with the Lancasters."

Richard's aura flared as he whispered:

"Break."

For a moment, everything went still—then a blinding light erupted from the Sentinel's wounds, consuming it entirely and leaving no trace behind.

The battle was finally over the victor Richard the patriarch of the Lancaster family.

From the sidelines, Mireveil shouted in disbelief, "Impossible!"

Sophia prepared to capture him, but a desperate cry stopped her.

"Richard!"

It was Amelia, rushing from the control room.

Sophia turned back toward her father. His body looked drained, aged unnaturally, and he spat blood.

"I guess... I've finally reached my limit," Richard murmured, collapsing.

Sophia caught him in her arms, holding him close as she knelt. Mireveil, sensing opportunity, clicked his tongue and vanished before the other Lancaster heroes could stop him.

"Dad! Dad, stay with me!" Sophia cried, panic rising in her voice.

Amelia reached them, kneeling beside Richard, tears in her eyes. "Why did you push yourself so far?" she whispered.

Richard weakly raised a bloodstained hand to Sophia's face, brushing a strand of her hair aside.

"I had no choice," he said. "They would have hurt my Sophie... I couldn't allow that."

Amelia bit her lip in frustration. She knew he was right—any parent would have done the same.

Richard continued, voice growing fainter.

"I'm sorry... for everything Sophia. I was foolish. Knowing my time was nearly up, I thought marrying you off would protect you and the family."

Sophia shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Please, don't talk... the healers are coming," she begged.

But Richard only smiled softly. "No... I need to say this. I should have trusted you, Sophia. So please forgive me."

"I forgive you, Father," she sobbed. "So please, just stay."

Richard's eyes closed. "Good... Protect your mother... okay?"

His hand slipped from her face, hitting the ground with a soft thud.

That day, something broke in the heart of the Lancaster family.

****

Meta Essence Carcinoma was a cruel paradox—heroes, beings once thought impervious to sickness and disease, found their greatest enemy in the very source of their power: Meta Essence.

This rare, deadly condition occurred when a hero's body absorbed more Meta Essence than it could safely contain.

A mutation at the core of their abilities caused their internal energies to spiral out of control, slowly poisoning them from within.

The disease was relentless. Every time a hero used their abilities, especially powerful ones, the carcinoma worsened—accelerating the destruction.

The stronger the ability, the quicker the body unraveled. And there was no conventional cure. Only a Divine Healing Ability—a miracle so rare that even the mighty Ascendant Families struggled to secure it—could reverse the damage.

For Overlord-level families like the Lancasters, the chance of obtaining such a cure was close to none.

Thus, a diagnosis of Meta Essence Carcinoma was a death sentence. All that remained was to prepare for the inevitable.

---

In one of the heavily guarded medical rooms deep within the Lancaster Estate, Richard Lancaster, patriarch and once-proud hero, lay motionless on a hospital bed.

His body was frail, far removed from the titan who had once stood against the Sentinel.

Tubes and devices surrounded him, struggling to keep him breathing.

Though the heroes of the estate had dealt with the remaining creatures, the true battle—the one for Richard's life—had only just begun.

The news of the invasion had already spread across City X, but the Lancasters moved swiftly to suppress the true severity of Richard's condition. If their enemies caught wind of the patriarch's critical state, the family would become vulnerable.

Standing vigil by Richard's bedside were Sophia and Amelia.

Sophia's eyes were bloodshot, her tears refusing to dry after the events of the day. Breaking the heavy silence, she asked, her voice trembling:

"Why did you keep it from me?"

Amelia, never taking her eyes off her comatose husband, replied softly,

"It was your father's decision. He didn't want you to panic."

Sophia clenched her fists, a bitter feeling swelling in her chest.

"I understand... but if he had told me, maybe—"

Amelia cut her off sharply, her voice firm yet filled with sorrow.

"Maybe you would have what? Cultivate a Divine Ability overnight? Heal him yourself?"

Sophia fell silent, the weight of reality crashing down. Amelia's voice softened as she continued:

"He didn't tell you to protect you. To spare you from the helplessness he knew you would feel. But..."

She looked down, her heart heavy.

"What he did—trying to marry you off—was not right. It wasn't fair. But... I chose not to stop him. In his mind, it was a father's last, desperate attempt to protect his daughter."

Sophia stepped closer to her mother, shaking her head.

"Don't worry, Mother. That's in the past now."

Her voice hardened with determination.

"Right now, we need to find a way to save Father—no matter the cost."

Amelia nodded, tears glistening in her eyes, silently promising to stand by her daughter.

****

A Few Hours Before Richard's Final Clash with the Sentinel

In the heart of Duskveil District, beneath the cracked skies and crumbling highrises, the aftermath of the Colossus' rampage was still unfolding.

Among the debris and battered streets moved Agent 777 and his team — shadows of efficiency, tending to the wounded and securing the wreckage.

Reinforcements, heroes who had been on standby in case Duskveil's barrier had failed, had arrived to assist, helping stabilize the district before worse could unfold.

The first impact pulses from the Colossus had caused far more devastation than anyone anticipated: buildings shattered, streets ruptured, civilians caught in the chaos.

There were injuries — dozens — and a handful of fatalities.

But if the heroes hadn't held the line, the entire district would've been razed.

It could have been a hundred times worse.

Now, outside a battered hideout serving as their command post, reporters gathered like vultures, cameras flashing, broadcasting the battered faces of survivors and saviors alike across countless news stations.

The Association's clean-up crews were busy containing and transporting the defeated villains, locking them into specially reinforced prison transports, ensuring no surprises remained.

A determined reporter, shoving through the crowd, raised her mic toward Agent 777.

"Sir, could we get your side of the story? What exactly happened here?"

Agent 777 turned toward her, his demeanor rigid and unreadable — the telltale sign that his "ability" was active, sealing away his emotions and

replacing them with cold, mechanical precision.

His voice was flat, measured.

"Same as usual. A villain planned to cause chaos. We stopped him. Simple."

Unsatisfied, the reporter pressed on.

"It's come to our notice that the villain in question was an ex-hero. What does the Association plan to do about this troubling trend?"

Agent 777 stared blankly for a beat before replying:

"I don't know what the higher-ups will decide. But... it will surely be a good response."

Without waiting for another question, he added, "That will be all. Further inquiries should be directed to the Association."

He turned on his heel and walked away, leaving the reporters scrambling.

Watching from the side, Ethan exhaled through his nose and muttered,

"Guess he's back to normal. His ability really does mess with his personality..."

His voice trailed off as a new voice, soft and teasing that floated from behind him.

"He does... but I hardly notice anymore."

Ethan turned, he was finding it difficult to get used to this.

Standing there was a woman — crimson hair cascading past her shoulders, almond-shaped eyes gleaming with an unreadable light, and skin so flawless it almost looked painted on.

It was Mystique, the infamous shapeshifter.

Ethan's mind stalled for a moment. When he had first met Mystique, he thought she was a man. Now... he wasn't even sure if this was her real form.

'No... better not to think about it, he thought grimly. If I start questioning it, I'll give myself a headache.'

He made a mental note at that moment: Always be cautious around shapeshifters.

Suddenly, a sharp BOOM split the air — a sonic boom cracking across the skies.

All heads turned upward as a figure, clad in radiant armor, descended from the clouds, landing with a crash that shook the broken streets.

Ethan's eyes widened in recognition.

It had been a long time since they crossed paths —

Radiant Striker, a Level 3 Hero, known for his golden avatar and blinding impact.

Ethan rushed forward, grinning.

"I didn't know you were being sent here too—"

But he froze when he caught Striker's expression: grim, tight-lipped, every muscle wound taut.

Something was wrong.

Before Ethan could ask, Striker spoke in a low, urgent voice.

"Our people have been tracking down Mireveil... and we finally got a lock on his location."

Ethan blinked. "That's good news, right? So why the grim face? It can't be that bad."

Striker's hands clenched at his sides.

"He was last seen invading the Lancaster Estate."

He hesitated.

"And... he wasn't alone."

Ethan felt the blood drain from his face.

Striker's next words dropped like stones.

"He brought a creature as strong as Richard Lancaster himself... along with an army of lesser monsters."

For a moment, Ethan's mind simply refused to process it.

And then —

"WHAT!?"

he exploded, voice cracking with disbelief.

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A/N I will release 3 extra chapters if I get 200 power stones or 100 Golden tickets.

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