I'm a villain within the hero's party - Chapter 30: Kael Caskore, 7th Rank

Catching arrows, running up walls, crushing boulders and bending metal, these are but petty parlour tricks in the eyes of martial artists. But where can a genuine martial artist stand in an era where martial artists are nothing more than a myth?

“Six-legged black, red worm, level seven elite worm beast. After absorbing it, I should be able to reach the eighth level.”The Giant Exploding Thunder Dragon beast, with bronze blood, is as big as an asteroid. If I absorb it, I can reach the black hole level immediately!Chaos White Liexiang, the best of chaotic spirit beasts. Difficult to take care of, but as long as I absorb it, my life index can break 10000!Wang Xu accidentally got a flame that could devour insects and beasts and convert their energy into his own. From then on, no one could stand in his way!

The year was 2026, and the world wasn't what it used to be. Ever since the Abyss Gates cracked open three years ago, spilling monsters and dungeons across the planet, life had turned into a chaotic mess. Cities were half-ruined, half-rebuilt, and people clung to whatever normalcy they could find. Hunters—those brave or crazy enough to fight the monsters—became the new heroes. Everyone else? Well, they just tried to survive.Fin wasn't a Hunter. He wasn't a hero either.He was just… Fin. A lanky 19-year-old with messy brown hair, a chipped front tooth from a dumb skateboard accident, and a power that everyone called useless. Absorption. Sounds cool, right? Like he could suck up energy or steal someone's strength. Nope. All it did was let him “feel” things he touched a little more than normal. He could tell you the exact texture of a brick wall or how warm a coffee mug was—big whoop. No fireballs, no super strength, no flashy moves. Just a glorified touchy-feely trick.“Fin, you gonna eat that sandwich or just stare at it like it's gonna confess its life story?” Meg's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.He blinked and looked across the rickety table at his best friend. Meg was short, loud, and had a wild mop of dyed purple hair that she swore made her look “intimidating.” It didn't.

A world where people awakened abilities called Skills to those who come of age. The protagonist, Awakened with three godly cheat skills, does he uses them and rise to an existence called a hero or becomes a person who only cares about his own life.