Apocalypse Cockroach - Chapter 17: So Close Yet So Far

Esther, a guardian of the Earth, awakens after centuries of slumber to a world transformed. The energy of the planet, once in sync, feels fractured and wrong, making him to embark on a journey to uncover the source of this imbalance.Lazy but impossibly sharp, handsome, and undeniably powerful, Esther is an immortal being who has always existed beyond the concerns of mortal life.On his journey, he meets Hina, an ambitious and fiery woman determined to become the next queen of her country, a goal that intrigues Esther and pulls him into the complexities of human ambition, politics, and relationships.Along the way, Esther will meet multiple characters who will teach him lessons about life, love, and the human spirit—things he had long ignored in his centuries of existence.A story of self-discovery, growth, and breathtaking action, *The Descendant of Sloth* is a fantastical tale that explores what it means to truly live.

In the Heart’s Kingdom, a kingdom where vampires reign and humans were nothing but livestock, Lilou, a peasant, found herself being preyed upon by the worst maniacal vampire of his kind. However, as terrifying as what he addressed her as his ‘reserved meal’, this vampire also called her his bride!

Except:

My eyes brood with fear, gazing at the still-beating heart in his hand. “My Lord, pardon me but… is this the bloody proof you promised to show me?” I asked, my voice shook as I gulped down whilst struggling my trembling knees from giving away.

“Mhm… do you now believe I’m good at capturing hearts?” The silver-haired man, bearing those menacing pair of deep crimson eyes stared proudly at me after a nod. I gasped when he clenched his hand and squeezed the fresh heart to smithereen.

“Yes, milord. You’re good at it, literally.” I’m mortified, watching the pieces of the heart fall as he approached. His every step made me take a step back until my back reached a solid pillar.

“Huh,” Samael chuckled briefly, stopping in front of me. His long, pointy nails that were covered with blood traced my elbow down to my hand. Gently, he clipped my forefinger in between his, guiding it before his lips. “Did I pass your test, though?” He asked, the sharp tip of his nail played over the tip of my finger.

I stared at his penetrating gaze as I reluctantly answered, “Barely.”

He smirked, nodding in satisfaction before he pressed his nail on the tip of my forefinger that was quick to produce a drop of blood. “Such sweet aroma.” He whispered, placing my bleeding finger in his mouth and licked it with passion.

His menacing gaze never left mine as he consumed a bit of my blood. “Does that mean you’re accepting my invitation?” Keeping my finger in between his fangs, Samael inquired.

I bit my lower lip unconsciously, my heart within my chest drummed as my back broke into sweats. “But… I’m just…” I paused, hoping my answer would put an end to this. “… I’m just a human.”

Samael clicked his tongue, displeased at my response as he let my finger go. “No,” He whispered.

My entire body stiffened when he bent over, caressing my shoulder up to my neck by the apex of his nose, as his hot breaths prickled my skin.

“You're not just a mere human... you are my human.” He stressed before I sensed his lips part and the tip of his fangs against my skin.

Shion, the ‘Hero of Darkness’. He was said to be the strongest hero ever. He believed one thing, and that was his current party members.

“I’ll defeat the Demon Lord with this party!”

That is what he swore to do, but a tragedy occurs. He was painfully betrayed by the girls that he trusted.

He barely held onto his life, but the incident left a deep scar in his heart.

He gave up on living, and while he was wandering around in a forest, looking for a way to die, a single monster appeared in front of him.

“Will you kill me, please?”

The monster asked Shion, who was still strong, despite losing his powers.

What Shion, who wanted to die as well, did was―

Seventeen-year-old Dominic Hayes had always been a quiet dreamer—chained to hospital beds, IV drips, and the ticking clock of his diagnosis. Leukemia stole his strength, his youth, and finally, his life. But fate had one more surprise waiting for him beyond the veil.When Dominic awakens, it’s not to the afterlife he expected—but to the crashing waves and boundless power of the ocean itself. He has been reborn as Poseidon, the Greek God of the Sea. With divine power surging through his veins and immortality in his grasp, Dominic is no longer the dying boy in the hospital—he is a god.But power comes with purpose.As he grapples with his new identity, ancient forces stir. Old gods rise, long-buried secrets awaken, and the balance between realms begins to crack. Dominic must decide—will he embrace his divine fate and protect the world he once had to leave behind, or will he drown in the very depths of power he never asked for?In this epic journey of rebirth, grief, and second chances, Reincarnated as Poseidon is a tale of what it means to live, to lose, and to rise again with the fury of the tides.side characters :Zeus, Hades and Athena