The Alpha, its monstrous form rapidly disintegrating, lashed out with a final, desperate claw. Ethan, out of pistol ammunition and his hatchet still embedded in its ruptured core, faced it head-on. There was no time to reload, no space to maneuver. The pain from his ribs flared, but a primal, almost savage determination surged through him. He couldn't let it live. Not after everything.
With a guttural roar born of pure adrenaline and instinct, Ethan didn't dodge. He *met* the blow. He raised his left arm, relying on the sheer **Strength** (now 9) and **Stamina** (now 11, even injured) the System had granted him. It was a desperate, foolish move, but it was his only option.
The Alpha's claw slammed into his forearm, tearing through flesh and muscle, but Ethan gritted his teeth, holding on, refusing to be swatted away. His right hand, still gripping the hatchet's handle, plunged deeper into the Alpha's chest, twisting the blade, grinding it into the rapidly collapsing core.
The Alpha shrieked, a sound of unimaginable agony and pure, unadulterated defeat. Its body convulsed one last, titanic time, spraying foul-smelling, green ichor. The crimson glow in its eyes flickered violently, then extinguished. Its massive, rapidly shrinking form collapsed in on itself with a wet, sickening thud, dissolving into a rapidly decaying pile of flesh, bone, and strange, crystalline fragments.
**\[Prime Specimen (Alpha) neutralized! All Chimera network functions terminated!]**
**\[Massive Experience Gained! 1000 EXP!]**
**\[Congratulations, Host! You have gained enough Experience Points to Level Up!]**
**\[Level Up! You are now Level 6!]**
**\[All basic attributes +1!]**
**\[Points: +1!]**
As the Alpha fell, the oppressive, buzzing hum that had saturated Ethan's **Anomaly Sense** abruptly ceased, replaced by a profound, chilling silence. The effect on the other anomalies in the chamber was instantaneous and dramatic.
The **Stalker**, which had been relentlessly pressing Anya, suddenly froze, its razor-sharp limbs twitching erratically. Its glowing eyes dulled, its predatory focus gone. The **Blight**, still oozing corrosive fluid, slumped to the ground, its body deflating, the green vapor dissipating. The encircling Runners and Lurkers ceased their movements, their heads tilting confusedly, their organized menace dissolving into mindless confusion.
"It's over," Anya breathed, her voice hoarse, her rifle still pointed at the now inert Stalker. Jax, panting heavily, lowered his crossbow, staring at the decaying mass that had been the Alpha.
Ethan slumped to his knees, his left arm throbbing, blood welling up from the deep lacerations. The adrenaline began to recede, replaced by bone-deep exhaustion and overwhelming pain. He looked at his arm, then at the remnants of the Alpha. He had done it.
**\[Status]**
**Name:** Ethan James
**Title:** Anomaly Hunter
**Level:** 6
**Experience:** 100/600 (Next Level)
**Strength:** 10 (+1)
**Agility:** 10 (+1)
**Stamina:** 12 (+1)
**Intelligence:** 13 (+1)
**Skills:** Melee Proficiency (Tier 1), Ranged Accuracy (Tier 1)
**Points:** 1
**Skill Points:** 1
**Special Skill:** Anomaly Sense (Tier 1)
**Current Status:** Critical (Severe Laceration - Left Arm, Cracked Ribs)
Anya was at his side in an instant, tearing cloth to staunch the bleeding on his arm. "Ethan, your arm! Damn, that's deep!"
"I'm fine," he rasped, though he clearly wasn't. The System's new warnings confirmed it: a very severe laceration, added to his cracked ribs. His healing would be agonizingly slow without proper medical attention.
"Fine? You just took a direct hit from that thing!" Jax hobbled over, his own arm a mess. He looked at the remaining Runner and Lurker anomalies. "They're just… shambling now. The coordination's gone."
"The Alpha was their brain," Anya confirmed, looking at the tablet. "Without it, they revert to basic, mindless infected. The Chimera network is offline." She then looked back at Ethan, her expression softening with a mixture of awe and concern. "You did it, Ethan. You really did it."
The threat was broken, for now. But they were deep underground, injured, and needed to find a way out. And there was still one more objective to complete.
"The research," Ethan managed, despite the pain. "Any other labs down here? Data to destroy?"
Anya nodded, her eyes scanning the tablet's schematics. "Yes. There's a smaller, secure research vault adjacent to the main chamber. Likely where they kept the sensitive stuff. We need to find it and ensure nothing else falls into the wrong hands."
The fight had been won, but the mission wasn't over. They had to ensure the nightmare of Project Chimera was buried for good.