The Creatures That We Are - Chapter 17: When A Mantis Stalks a Cicada

The protagonist is reborn in the late Roman Republic and becomes a gladiator under Spartacus. How will he escape the tragic fate of being crucified, and how will he survive in the Mediterranean ruled by Rome? Stay tuned!

“Rome must fall! As long as it exists, we cannot escape our fate of death!” — Maximus

Just days before his final discharge, Sergeant Shin Young-joon, a military chef by profession, witnessed the doom of the world.An apocalypse, that came out of nowhere and ruined the world that he used to know.In the blink of an eye his battalion fell into shambles, all the communication lines, and radio frequencies were severed, and before him was a message stating:[Congratulations on your awakening!] [Occupation: Novice Chef Lv.1] If only he had a profession like a warrior or an assassin, he might have attempted to stand his ground alone.But what was given to him was clearly the supporting job of a chef.With the recent developments in progress, he didn’t have any choices, other than saying, “From now on, I’ll be the one to feed you all.”

Long time ago, the world was ruled by the Primordials — an ancient and powerful race who mastered magic and shaped the land with runes and magic. They built bastions that stood as monuments to their greatness, cities protected by powerful enchantments. But their thirst for even greater power led to disaster. They opened gates to another realm… and unleashed demons.What followed was swift and brutal. The Primordials fought back, but they lost. Their civilization crumbled, their names were erased, and only the magical bastions remained — sealed places protected by forgotten runes that even demons could not cross.Now, demons rule the night. Humanity lives in fear, hiding behind rune-marked walls, unaware of their true origins or how close the world stands to its final collapse.Into this broken world falls Alex — a stranger from another reality. Upon his arrival, he awakens a forbidden power within himself: nature magic and the ability to shapeshift. A gift… and a curse.Magic is forbidden. Hunted. Destroyed. If anyone discovers what he is, he could be executed on the spot. But only through his power does Alex stand a chance of surviving… and fighting back. As he journeys across this dark and ruined land, he begins to unravel secrets long buried, truths about the demons’ origin, and the real reason the world fell.This is a dark fantasy tale of blood, survival, ancient knowledge, and inner transformation. Alex must choose what he will become: a monster, a savior… or something in between.Hello and welcome to everyone who decided to read my first writing attempts!The story you are reading is created in my free time, so new chapters will be released approximately 3-4 times a week. I run my own business, which sometimes makes it difficult to find a moment to sit down and fully focus on writing.I'm a fan of brutal, bloody scenes – the kind that stay in your mind long after you've finished reading. I have a vivid imagination, and when I write, I see each of these fights clearly, as if they were happening right in front of me: torn bodies, blood spraying, guts... none of that sugar-coated fighting.I try to transfer these images from my head to the page with as much intensity as possible, so you can feel the same tension and thrill that I do while writing.I also want to build a sense of horror – especially when it comes to monsters. I'm not interested in easy enemies. These are meant to be creatures you feel before you see them. The kind that stir fear and force the characters into desperate decisions.I hope you'll enjoy these scenes too – brutal, emotional, and full of darkness.As for the plot, I already have a general outline in my head, so there’s a lot of writing ahead of me. In the future, the story may include R18 scenes, but before that, I want to build a solid world and well-developed characters.If you have any ideas or suggestions, feel free to reach out—I’d love to discuss them, and maybe we can add something interesting to the story!Enjoy the read!

Note: There's no magic in this novel. This was previously in the Realistic Fiction genre but it's not included in the choices. So I picked the closest one to it.

Onoda Ruki is just your ordinary high school student. He strived for being the Classmate A who's unimportant to the story.

Despite being the Classmate A. Onoda has a secret desire which he always had ever since young and that was to steal each and every girl from their guy.

Join him as he entered his high school days as he conquer and steal every girl he sets his eyes on. And along the way, the growth in his character and those around him.

*I do not own the cover photo. I will take it out if requested.

*DISCLAIMER

This is a work of fiction.

All names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious way. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Moreover, the ages of the characters appearing in this fiction are 18 and above.