I’m a villain within the hero’s party

"I'm cold, and these swarming river snake bites hurt. They don't know I'm immune to venom and poison," Gabby thought.

He added, "I swear, I'll kill them when I get the chance."

He grabbed two sea snakes by the head and crushed them, their blood rising to the river surface.

Gabby swam underwater toward the nearest bridge shore.

"I hate this survival class. All the food, supplies, and the swordsmanship book I borrowed are soaked," he muttered.

He thought, "I can't properly track them, because the Thrixell is stalking them too. It's drawn by the scent of the thrix markings left on one of the squad members who died. That person's belongings were marked, and the Thrixell has an extremely sharp sense of smell from far away, but its ability to detect scent weakens up close.

I saw the map. I can reach the teleportation portal using shortcuts, but I'll have to fight powerful monsters along the way. I'd prefer to get through with minimum effort, but it looks like I have no other option."

Gabby climbed the uneven, rocky terrain.

He spotted deep claw marks—five massive gashes carved into a large tree.

He thought, "The surroundings are unnaturally quiet. Monsters are hiding, watching. That can only mean one thing. I'm in the territory of a powerful beast."

A low growl rumbled from the shadows below.

Gabby spun around.

Emerging from the mist was a massive, bear-like silhouette. But it wasn't a bear.

Brown pangolin-like scales glinted under the faint moonlight. Its eyes were murky gold. Jaws split wide to reveal rows of jagged teeth. A sharp and long claws, dragged across the earth with slow menace.

Beneath its scaled flank, trails of damp fluid glistened faintly under moonlight. The scent in the air shifted—earthy, but tinged with something… organic.

It rose.

One step.

Then another.

Gabby's breath hitched as it towered to its full height, fifteen meters.

"No way… A Marshbear. At night, of course. It's their hunting season and will hunt for food for more than fifteen days and spend another fifteen days hibernating."

His thoughts raced. "Escape is suicide. It's fast…faster than it looks. It's known for killing Awakeners and heroes around Master tier."

The Marshbear snorted. Steam burst from its nostrils, swirling with the fog. Its low growl turned into a roar.

The Marshbear lunged forward.

The ground shook beneath its heavy steps.

Gabby pulled out his twin daggers, gripping them tightly.

The beast bared its massive fangs, but Gabby calmly stepped back.

Its jaws snapped shut, biting nothing but air.

It followed up with a wide swing of its claws.

Gabby barely dodged, rolling across the dirt and skidding to the ground.

He thought to himself, "Marshbears really are fast."

Gabby stayed low as he regained his footing, the chill of the midnight air brushing against his sweat-soaked skin. The Marshbear let out a snarl, its golden eyes locked onto him with primal fury.

"This constant sickness, it's weakening me," he thought, eyes still locked on the Marshbear. "My body isn't in fighting shape. I'm slower. My reaction time's off."

He clenched his jaw. "I'm at a disadvantage."

Gabby glanced around.

The beast pawed at the ground, preparing to charge again. Gabby could see it in its stance, raw power and relentless instinct.

Gabby released a surge of vibrant green aura that flared around his body, it was massive, almost wider than his fight with Sarah.

He narrowed his eyes and muttered, "Finally… I've released it. Been holding this back since the day I stepped into the Academy."

"Suppressing your aura," he scoffed, "feels like holding back a poop in public. You try to look composed while the storm brews inside."

Then without warning he vanished.

A split-second blur streaked across the riverbank.

The Marshbear responded with instinctual rage, slashing with a storm of deadly claws. Dirt flew. Trees split. Wind howled.

But Gabby moved with immensed speed. Twisting, ducking, sidestepping with crisp, precise footwork using his heavenly swordstyle.

He darted past the monster's strikes, barely a whisper against the chaos.

Then his body lifted mid sprint an acrobatic blur spinning through the air.

He aimed straight for the nape. Twin daggers out. Precision locked.

CLINK!

Steel met scale but he couldn't pierce.

Gabby rebounded off the beast's thick armor and landed lightly behind it.

"Damn. The scales are too dense," he thought, panting. "I need more power… sharper aim. I could use my sword forms, but they drain stamina fast. Not with this sickness weighing me down."

The Marshbear grew even more aggressive, furious at Gabby's failed attempt to wound it. With a thunderous roar, it unleashed a storm of claw strikes, wild, relentless, pounding through trees, stones, and empty air.

Gabby danced through the fury.

He moved faster now, so fast the beast couldn't land a single hit. Each dodge was clean, every movement effortless. Gabby wasn't just surviving… he was toying with it.

Then he saw it.

A small silhouette crouched in the mist. A smaller creature watching with wide, trembling eyes.

He thought to himself, "I guess, this is the time that I end this…Secret Sword Art, First Form: Godspeed"

In a blink, Gabby vanished.

He charged straight at the Marshbear, slipping past its claws with elegant precision. No hesitation. No fear. He didn't look back.

The beast roared, watching Gabby vanish into the trees. It gave chase, driven not by rage, but by something deeper.

Gabby darted through the undergrowth with immense speed.

Then he saw it clearly.

The small creature tried to run, stubby limbs stumbling over rocks and roots.

Gabby caught up in seconds.

It was a cub.

A Marshbear cub.

The child.

He narrowed his eyes, "This beast's thicker than usual and swollen even. It's clearly nursing a cub. The silence of the woods made more sense. Not just territory, it was protective instinct. "

The ground quaked beneath the pounding fury of the Mother Marshbear's charge. Her scales rippled with tension, claws tearing through dirt and stone as she barreled toward Gabby with unbridled rage. Her roar was primal—echoing with the pain of a threatened mother, thick with killing intent.

But Gabby didn't flinch.

He stood firm, cold gaze meeting her wild eyes without fear. His dagger hovered inches from the cub's neck, gleaming under the moonlight.