Beyond the Apocalypse

Book 1. A battlefield of humans, demons, and angels.

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A young man was sitting in a corner of the room where the Warfare History class was being conducted. He had black hair, blue eyes, and a normal face, not too handsome but not ugly either.

As he glanced to the side, a complicated expression appeared on his face. He noticed how some of the students looked at him, murmuring among themselves and barely containing their laughter.

"Ah, how could I be such a fool?"

The 19-year-old Vlad couldn't help but sigh as he turned his gaze towards one of the young women in the front row, lamenting his foolish behavior.

The young woman was gorgeous, with black hair that cascaded down to her waist, a petite yet well-developed body, and green eyes. Her name was Jessica, and up until a few days ago, Vlad had considered her a very good friend and was infatuated with her.

Vlad and Jessica started a friendship shortly after the college year began. They were assigned to the same group for a project and got along well. Over the months, Vlad found himself drawn to Jessica because of her beauty and kind nature, leading him to decide to propose.

Unfortunately for Vlad, she was not interested. Despite the disappointment, Vlad was mature enough to accept her decision. However, the situation didn't end there. Barely a day after he proposed, rumors about him began circulating throughout the university.

It didn't take long for him to discover that Jessica had spread the news of his proposal. While it was embarrassing to be turned down, Vlad didn't think his actions warranted the silent mockery of the entire class.

However, unlike the simple proposal Vlad had made, what Jessica told others was that he had approached her with a bouquet of expensive flowers and a grand scroll containing a poem to declare his love and that after she rejected him, he began to cry and scream, threatening to end his life.

Vlad was shocked to hear Jessica had spread such lies. Initially, he was in disbelief, but his astonishment grew when he confronted her. Jessica's sweet demeanor vanished, and she claimed she was merely telling the truth and advised him to stay away from her.

Vlad attempted to share his side of the story and set things straight, yet no one chose to believe him over the pretty and sweet Jessica. Even those he considered friends sided with her, spreading even more false rumors about him to the point where people behind his back began calling him "Sicko".

Vlad didn't regret his proposal, believing there was nothing wrong with expressing his feelings. What he was ashamed of was falling for a pretty face without seeing the true nature of the person behind it, becoming a laughingstock for the entire class.

"Okay, that's it for today's class. Remember, we have an exam next week, so you better study hard, as it will account for 20% of your total grade."

As soon as the teacher finished speaking, Vlad grabbed his belongings and stood up, making his way to the exit. There was no reason to remain in a place filled with people whose only intention seemed to be laughing at him, so he headed to his dormitory.

Like most students, Vlad lived in one of the college's dorm rooms. It was close to the main campus and very affordable, which was important for someone like Vlad, who had to pay for everything himself.

As soon as Vlad opened the door to his small room, a creature lunged at him, clinging to his leg before biting him.

"Ah, Jormungandr, I told you not to do that," Vlad exclaimed, gazing at the small yellow cat still biting his leg.

After hearing his name, the cat bit for another two seconds, then let go and stared at Vlad with a sharp and demanding gaze.

Vlad looked down at the tiny cat, a smile forming as he closed the door and bent down. He had named the small yellow cat Jormungandr, inspired by the creature's ferocious appetite.

"Hahaha, out of everyone, you're the only one who doesn't stab me in the back and is straightforward with me."

"Meow."

Jormungandr meowed at Vlad, but when Vlad reached out to pet him, the cat moved his head and bit his hand with all his strength.

"Ow! Asshole!" Vlad shouted, shaking his hand, while the small cat jumped back, staring at him and meowing again, this time with more force.

"Meow!"

"Fine, fine. What, do you want water?"

Jormungandr just glanced at Vlad, indicating that wasn't what he wanted.

"Oh, food?"

"Meow!"

Immediately, Jormungandr responded, causing a confused expression to appear on Vlad's face.

"I'm sure I left you a full bowl of food before going to class this morning."

Vlad was puzzled and walked over to the freezer, where he had left the food. As expected, there was a bowl full of cat food and another with water. Half of the cat food was gone, but there was still plenty left.

"There's clearly a lot of food here."

Jormungandr glanced at the bowl before turning back to Vlad, meowing even louder.

"Meow!"

Vlad didn't know whether to laugh or cry as he shook his head and went to one of the top counters, where he took out a small can of tuna.

"Meow, meow, meow, meow!"

As soon as the can appeared, Jormungandr began to meow faster, clearly indicating his preference for tuna.

Vlad could only smile as he opened the can and mixed it with the rest of the cat food, ensuring Jormungandr would have to eat both.

The small yellow cat looked at Vlad as he mixed the foods before beginning to eat. He tried to eat only the tuna, but bits of cat food also found their way into his mouth.

Vlad sat on his bed, watching Jormungandr eat. A complicated smile appeared on his face as he sighed.

"Is this really the life of a reincarnator?"