I Am the Novel's Extra Villan

"Blood Swipe!" Ryker shouted, swinging his sword in a wide arc.

A crimson wave of energy shot from his blade, racing toward a large lizard-like creature crouched low on the forest floor. The beast looked up just in time to see the attack coming, but it was too late.

The blood energy tore through the creature's side, leaving a gaping hole near its belly. The lizard let out a horrible screech and rolled on the ground, its claws digging into the earth as dark blood poured from the wound.

Ryker wiped sweat from his forehead and studied the creature. Ground Gekos - they looked almost exactly like the Ground Lizards that people used for transportation in the towns. But these wild ones were nothing like their tamed cousins. They were bigger, meaner, and their bite could kill a person in minutes.

Some of the older ones could even control the earth around them, making the ground shake or creating stone walls. Thankfully, these two looked young.

"At least they're easier than that cockatrice," Ryker muttered, shifting his grip on his sword.

The second Ground Geko hissed at him, its yellow eyes glowing with anger. It charged forward, but its heavy body made it slow. Ryker stepped aside easily and watched it crash into a tree.

His arms felt heavy, and his legs were starting to shake. He'd been fighting for hours, and his bloodline energy was running low. The healing potions in his pack were tempting, but he needed to save them for real emergencies.

"This was supposed to be a one-star town," he said through gritted teeth. "What kind of place has monsters like this?"

He'd expected to fight Earth Crawlers - small, weak creatures that barely counted as monsters. Instead, he'd faced a cockatrice and now these gekos. Something was very wrong with this forest.

Both lizards turned toward him now. The injured one was moving slower, but it still looked ready to fight. They spread out, trying to surround him.

Ryker made his choice. He ran straight at the wounded geko, his sword raised high. When he was just a few feet away, he twisted his body and brought the blade down in a powerful strike.

The sword cut deep into the creature's skull, splitting it almost in half. Black blood sprayed across Ryker's face and clothes. The geko twitched once, then went still.

But when Ryker looked up, he saw the other lizard crawling toward him, its mouth open wide. Venom dripped from its fangs.

"Stubborn bastard," Ryker gasped, raising his sword again.

His vision was starting to blur from exhaustion. He could feel his energy draining away with each heartbeat. The second geko was getting closer, and he wasn't sure he had enough strength left to fight it.

An arrow whistled through the air and buried itself deep in the wounded geko's eye. The creature jerked once and then lay still.

Ryker spun around, his sword ready. A girl stood about twenty feet away, holding a wooden bow. She had brown hair tied back in a simple ponytail and wore plain traveling clothes. Her face was pretty enough to catch his attention, but her eyes were cold and calculating.

"Thanks," Ryker said carefully, not lowering his weapon.

The girl just smiled and notched another arrow. The remaining geko was still alive, turning its head between Ryker and the newcomer.

The lizard opened its mouth and spat a glob of green venom at Ryker. He threw himself to the side, feeling the poison sizzle against the tree behind him. The bark began to smoke and melt.

The geko spat again, this time aiming for where Ryker would land. He rolled desperately, barely avoiding the second shot. The venom hit the ground and started eating through the dirt.

The creature opened its mouth for a third attack, but another arrow suddenly appeared in its throat. The geko made a choking sound and closed its mouth, green liquid leaking from the corners.

Ryker didn't waste the opportunity. He bit down on his already injured hand, drawing fresh blood. The red liquid floated around his sword like liquid fire.

He charged forward and swung the blade across the geko's neck. The blood-enhanced sword cut through scales and bone like they were made of paper. The lizard's head fell to the ground with a wet thud.

Ryker stood over the dead creature, breathing heavily. His whole body ached, and he could taste blood in his mouth. But he was alive.

He used his sword to crack open the geko's skull and pulled out a small, glowing green core. The light pulsed like a heartbeat, and the core felt warm in his hand.

"Not bad," he said, tucking the core into his pack.

He turned to see the girl kneeling beside the other dead geko, pulling out a gray core. Hers was smaller and didn't glow as brightly.

Ryker started to walk away, but an arrow suddenly slammed into the ground right next to his foot. He looked down at the arrow, then back at the girl.

"Looking for a fight?" he asked, his voice dangerously quiet.

The girl stood up and smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Oh, I'm not looking for a fight. But I did help you kill that beast, and it looks like you got something valuable from it. I think I deserve some compensation."

She kept her bow raised, the string pulled back and ready to fire. To her, Ryker probably looked like an easy target - tired, injured, and alone in the forest.

Ryker stared at her for a moment, then burst into laughter. The sound echoed through the trees like the call of a mad bird.

The girl's smile faltered. "What's so funny?"

"I'm not giving you any warning," Ryker said, his laughter stopping as suddenly as it had started. "But I'll give you one chance to run."

He drew blood from his still-open wound, forming a thin red line along his sword's edge. The metal gleamed with liquid fire.

The girl's eyes narrowed. "Are you crazy? Let's see what's faster - an arrow or a running swordsman."

She pulled the bowstring back further, aiming right at Ryker's heart. But when she looked up to take the shot, she saw a crimson arc of energy racing toward her.

"What?" she gasped.

The blood energy struck her across the middle, cutting cleanly through her body. For a moment, she just stood there, looking confused. Then the two halves of her body fell in opposite directions.

Ryker walked over and picked up the gray core she'd dropped. He didn't look at her body as he stepped over it.

"Back to town," he muttered, heading toward the forest entrance.

Behind him, he could already hear the sounds of other creatures moving through the trees, drawn by the smell of fresh blood. The forest would take care of the body.

Ryker didn't look back.