I Am a Hero With A Hundred Abilities-Chapter 57: Ch 56. Into the Maw

Ethan slammed a hand against the steering wheel, eyes wide in disbelief.

"That damn granny made it sound so simple," he growled through clenched teeth.

"Like I'd be sparring with a few hot-headed prodigies, not walking into a coliseum full of living disasters!"

He exhaled slowly, calming the surge of adrenaline and nerves boiling in his chest. His voice was quieter now, but filled with grim resolve.

"There's no point worrying about that now…" he muttered. "Nobody said helping the Lancasters' Patriarch would be easy."

His hand slid over the ignition crystal. With a soft hum, the hover car lifted from the ground, its interior lights flickering to life. The engine's low drone echoed his thoughts.

"Even if I'm not strong enough to take them down now…" Ethan said, tightening his grip on the steering. "…everything will be different when I return from the Sanctum."

His eyes narrowed, a wild spark lighting them up with reckless determination.

"But first, I need to prepare."

With that, the hover car surged forward, gliding out of the Association's underground lot and into the neon-lit night.

Ethan's mind churned with a plan so bold, so dangerous, that anyone who caught even a whisper of it would have called him utterly insane.

And yet, to him, it was the only way forward.

****

Ethan's hover car glided silently into the grand courtyard of the Lancaster estate, the soft glow of moonlight reflecting off the freshly repaired marble walls and ornate iron gates.

The battle from before had left the estate in ruins, but now it looked untouched—as if chaos had never visited it.

That wasn't surprising. In a world teeming with heroes and abilities that defied logic, restoration was just another tool in the arsenal of the elite. And the Lancasters were nothing if not elite.

For a family of their power and status, rebuilding their estate in under a day was expected.

Ethan stepped out of his car and quietly walked toward the small house Sophia had assigned to him and Lisa.

As he neared the porch, he saw her—Lisa—curled up on the steps, arms folded over her knees, her head resting lightly on them.

She had fallen asleep waiting for him.

He paused, a pang of guilt tightening in his chest.

"I must have made her worried..." he murmured softly.

He approached carefully, knelt beside her, and gently lifted her into his arms.

She was warm and light, her breathing steady, but her brow was creased slightly as if she'd been dreaming uneasy dreams.

Ethan pushed open the door and carried her inside, moving quietly through the house until he reached her room.

He laid her gently on the bed, tucking the blanket around her. As he turned to leave—

"Ethan... please be careful..."

He froze and turned back. Lisa's eyes were still closed—she was sleep-talking.

He stood there for a moment, just watching her, before exhaling softly.

"Don't worry... I will."

He stepped out, pulling the door closed behind him with a quiet click.

Then, reaching into his coat pocket, he pulled out his phone.

The screen lit up, casting a cold light across his face. He scrolled through the contacts and tapped on one.

After a few rings, Sophia picked up, her voice calm but alert.

"Ethan? What is it?"

He looked out the window, eyes hardening with determination.

"I need your help with something."

****

The morning light crept silently across the sky as Ethan slipped out of the house before dawn, the quiet hum of his hover car breaking the early stillness.

He had left a neatly folded note on the kitchen counter for Lisa, explaining everything she needed to know once she woke up—not everything about his plan, but enough to ease her worry.

He didn't want her chasing after him.

The reason for his late-night call to Sophia had been clear: access to the Umbravine Maw, the infamous den at the heart of City X.

Unlike traditional dens that could be sealed by slaying the guardian and closing the black pit, the Umbravine Maw was something entirely different.

It was a living ecosystem, a chaotic labyrinth where Dread Beasts thrived in layers—each level of descent bringing more monstrous threats.

The deeper one ventured, the more unstable the world became, with spatial fractures, dread storms, and mutated apex predators ruling the shadows.

To even be considered for access, you had to be at least a Level 2 Adept—and even then, the gatekeepers only opened it for those with the right clout.

Most heroes climbed the ranks for months before earning the privilege.

But Ethan had just reached Level 2, and he had more than influence—he had the Lancaster name behind him, and Sophia's direct clearance.

It was the safest insane option for what he planned.

He gripped the steering wheel tightly, eyes focused on the city skyline in the distance. His voice broke the silence of the hover car.

"For Mireveil to attack the Lancasters just for me... there must be more to it. But I don't know what yet."

His jaw tightened. The hover car accelerated.

"Whatever they throw at me next, I have to be ready... The Sanctum will give me new abilities, make me more versatile. But I can't rely on that alone. I need strength—not handed to me, but forged and Earned."

What Ethan was about to do bordered on madness.

He was planning to push for another breakthrough, to level up again—right after he had just advanced.

No one in their right mind attempted such a thing. The strain, the risk, the sheer toll on the body and spirit made it virtually suicidal.

But Ethan wasn't in his right mind.

He had enemies coming from the shadows, threats clawing at him from every side.

He had to help save the Lancaster patriarch. He had to protect Lisa.

He had to survive.

And survival meant throwing away comfort, hesitation... and sanity.

As he passed the security towers guarding the edge of City X, Ethan narrowed his eyes.

"To become strong..." he muttered to himself, "you don't need to be sane to achieve it."

And with that, he sped toward the den no sane person dared to enter alone.

****

Ethan arrived at the edge of the Umbravine Maw just as the early morning haze lifted off the ground. The entrance to the den was like something out of a war zone—encased within a massive dome-shaped barrier erected by the Hero Association.

Reinforced with shimmering runes and energy pylons, the perimeter pulsed with containment energy to prevent any fool from rushing in and keep the horrors within from spilling out.

High-ranking heroes patrolled the grounds with sharp eyes, dressed in distinct armor and bearing the insignias of elite city factions. Drones hovered silently above, scanning for anomalies, while automatic turrets tracked even the slightest movement from within the barrier.

This wasn't a place meant for the average hero—it was a front line disguised as a research facility.

Ethan approached the fortified metal gates with measured steps, a sleek black suitcase in hand. The guards standing watch immediately raised their weapons, eyes narrowing until he presented his Lancaster-approved entry pass.

After a moment of silent verification, they nodded and began a thorough full-body scan. Once cleared, the gates hissed open, revealing the interior.

Inside the dome was a cavernous landscape centered around a massive sinkhole, at least two hundred meters wide.

Built into the slope of the pit was a spiraling metal staircase, supported by thick beams and reinforced plates that shook faintly with every distant roar echoing from below.

Other heroes moved in and out of the pit, most in teams of three or more. Some were visibly injured.

Others came back silent and shaken. Ethan, however, descended alone, the weight of his suitcase steady in his grip.

When he reached the bottom, the temperature dropped. The air was thick and stale, reeking of wet earth and decay. The cavern had five branching paths, each leading deeper into the den's ecosystem.

After a moment of calculation, Ethan moved toward the center path, drawn by instinct and certainty.

The silence was eerie.

His footsteps echoed faintly off the jagged stone walls. No wind, no distant growls. Just stillness.

Until the clattering began.

A sharp, rhythmic sound like bones scraping over metal. Then something squelched beneath his boot—a thick, sticky webbing.

He looked down, frowning. The trail led forward, glistening faintly in the low light.

Then came the hiss.

From the shadows ahead emerged a giant arachnid, its carapace black as tar, fangs dripping with venom.

Its red eyes gleamed with malevolence. And it wasn't alone—three more skittered behind it, crawling across the ceiling and walls like nightmares given flesh.

Ethan didn't flinch.

He simply looked ahead—and threw his suitcase into the air.

Mid-flight, the suitcase split and shifted, dozens of mechanical components unfolding like blooming petals. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

The pieces latched onto his arms with magnetic precision, forming sleek, obsidian gauntlets, etched with glowing crimson lines.

As the final piece locked into place, Ethan raised his fists and stepped forward.

"Let's begin."

And with that, he launched into the attack—no hesitation, no fear—just the fury of someone who refused to stay weak.

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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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