The strongest are born strong.
The weak?
The weak learn to die early.
Jarek had spent his entire life in the second category.
He wasn’t an Apex. He didn’t have the bloodline of an Alpha Predator or the mutated genes of a high-tier warrior. He wasn’t even considered a Hunter.
He was a Zero Awakening.
The first in recorded history. A genetic failure. A stain on evolution.
No enhancements. No superhuman reflexes. No power.
And yet—here he was, fighting a monster.
And he was losing.
One Hour Ago – The Hunter’s Exchange
Jarek leaned against the rusted metal railing, watching the Gene Market below.
The underground bazaar was alive with movement. Real Hunters strode through the stalls, bartering over Gene Cores—crystallized remains of monsters harvested from dungeon raids. The air was thick with the scent of blood, sweat, and something deeper—the metallic tang of mutated flesh.
Cores were how Hunters grew stronger.
A single mutation-enhancing core could reinforce muscle fibers, sharpen reflexes, or even grant elemental traits. Most Hunters could absorb one or two in their lifetime—but only if they already had an Apex Gene.
Jarek didn’t.
Even if he had the money, even if he got his hands on the strongest monster core available—it wouldn’t work on him.
His DNA was locked. stagnant and dead.
Above the market, a massive screen flickered, displaying the Apex Awakening Ceremony.
A celebration of monsters in human skin.
A girl from the Vermillion Court sprouted phoenix wings, flames licking at her hands. A noble heir from the Titan’s Hand clenched his fist—and the air shook from sheer pressure. A Black Fang assassin stepped forward—but his shadow moved before he did.
The future rulers of the world.
Jarek forced himself to watch.
Because once—he had stood on that stage.
And unlike them, he had awakened nothing.
Zero Awakening. A body that could not evolve.
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
The moment he stepped off that stage, his name was erased.
His father—once proud to call him his son—hadn’t even looked at him.
Now, years later, Jarek was still nobody.
He exhaled, gripping the railing tighter. Above the market, news reports scrolled across smaller holo-screens.
"Gate 14-C breached. Mutated lifeforms detected beyond containment. Two Hunters confirmed dead."
Another Gate failure. Another beast slipping into the real world.
It was happening more often now. Gates weren’t just dungeons anymore. They were bleeding into reality.
The world outside the city walls had already turned into a wasteland. If the mutations kept spreading, it wouldn’t be long before the safe zones weren’t safe anymore.
Jarek clenched his teeth. And people like him, people without power, wouldn’t last a day.
"You look like a dead man standing."
A voice broke through his thoughts.
Jarek turned to see Reiner—a former Hunter, his body covered in old scars. Unlike the elites in the market below, Reiner was built like a soldier. Hard. Unforgiving.
A man who had survived not because of talent, but because of pain.
Jarek had been following him for weeks.
"You’ve been watching the Apex Rites like a starving dog," Reiner muttered, lighting a cigarette. "If you’re looking for an answer, you won’t find it there."
Jarek didn’t respond.
Because he already knew the answer.
The strong survived.
The weak were erased.
Reiner exhaled. "You’re still trying to fight, aren’t you?"
Jarek hesitated. Then, slowly, he nodded.
The older man shook his head. "Dumb kid. You don’t have an Apex Gene. No enhanced strength. No regenerative abilities. You can train all you want, but you’ll never—"
"I know," Jarek cut in. His voice was steady.
Reiner studied him for a long moment, then sighed.
"Then prove me wrong," he said. "Go kill something that can kill you back."
Jarek blinked. "What?"
Reiner flicked his cigarette into the rain. "You want to fight? You want to matter?" His voice was cold. "Then show me you belong in this world."
He pulled something from his pocket—a crumpled map.
Jarek took it without hesitation.
Reiner turned away.
"You have until sunrise."
Jarek hadn’t hesitated.
The moment Reiner walked away, he took the map and left, making his way beyond the Safe Zone’s borders. He had moved fast , as if rushing forward would drown out the weight of what he was about to do.
Now, an hour later, standing in the dark, ruined tunnels, he was facing the reality of that decision.
Jarek barely ducked in time.
A bladed spine shot past his face, carving into the concrete wall behind him. Too close.
The Razorback Striker prowled forward, its muscular body low to the ground. Feline-like, but covered in bone spines jutting from its back and forearms.
A fast killer.
Jarek gripped his steel pipe tighter. He had expected something dangerous—but not this.
The Striker circled him, its slitted yellow eyes watching, analyzing.
It knew.
Jarek wasn’t a Hunter.
He wasn’t even a threat.
Then, it moved.
A blur of motion.
Jarek twisted, barely dodging as it lunged, claws raking through the air where his throat had been. He staggered back, heart pounding.
Too fast.
Another lunge. This time, he wasn’t quick enough.
Claws tore into his shoulder.
Jarek gritted his teeth, biting back the pain. His vision blurred. His arm went numb.
His body was already failing.
Then—he saw it.
A deep wound along the Striker’s side, still fresh, bleeding.
It had been hurt before.
Another predator must’ve attacked it.
Jarek didn’t hesitate.
As the Striker lunged again, he twisted at the last second, swinging the pipe with every ounce of strength he had.
The metal slammed into the open wound.
The Striker howled.
Blood splattered across his hands.
It burned.
[SYSTEM OVERRIDE: ERROR DETECTED.]
Jarek’s veins ignited. His body convulsed.
Then he realized—
The Striker’s blood was sinking into him.
It wasn’t just staining his skin.
It was being absorbed.
A deep, unnatural hunger coiled in his gut.
[ADAPTIVE EVOLUTION ACTIVATED.]
Jarek’s vision exploded with light.
For the first time in his life—
His body changed.