Leon crouched beside the mutant’s corpse, his fingers hovering over the pulsating crimson core embedded in the creature’s skull.

It was warm to the touch, its surface smooth yet strangely organic, like a living thing.

He exhaled slowly. This was it.

In his past life, cores like this had become the foundation of human survival.

Zombies that had evolved past their mindless, shuffling phase into something stronger, faster, and more deadly produced these cores inside their brains.

And humans could use them.

But the first humans to do so had discovered it by accident. By then, society had already crumbled.

Leon had no intention of waiting that long.

He had a head start, and he would use it.

Taking a deep breath, he pressed his fingers against the core..

and crushed it.

The shell cracked, releasing a surge of energy that crawled up his arm like liquid fire.

The pain was instantaneous.

Like a thousand needles piercing into his bones, nerves, and muscles all at once.

His vision blurred.

His heartbeat thundered against his ribs.

Then...

Darkness.

Leon’s eyes snapped open.

Except… he wasn’t in the hospital anymore.

The world around him had turned into a void of endless black, with faint streaks of crimson energy swirling through the emptiness.

Then, from the darkness.

A voice.

Low. Ancient. Echoing inside his skull.

“You are the first… to claim the gift… willingly.”

Leon gritted his teeth. He’d heard of this before. The Awakening Phenomenon.

Every human who absorbed a core for the first time experienced something different.

A hallucination? A test? A glimpse into something beyond human comprehension?

No one ever truly knew.

“You walk the path of the predator.”

The void around him shifted.

A presence coiled around him like an unseen force, watching, measuring.

“Will you embrace the hunger… or will it consume you?”

The words were not a question.

They were a warning.

Leon’s breath steadied.

He had already made his choice.

“I’ll use it,” he growled. “But I won’t become a monster.”

For a moment, the presence lingered. Silent. Considering.

Then...

“Very well… take what is yours.”

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The void shattered.

Leon’s body jerked violently as his mind snapped back into the real world.

His lungs burned, gasping for air like a drowning man.

He collapsed onto his hands and knees, sweat dripping onto the cold hospital floor.

“Leon?!”

Eric’s voice was distant, filled with panic.

Leon clenched his fists. His body felt… different.

The first thing he noticed was the heat coursing through his veins, like molten iron had been injected into his bloodstream.

The second?

His strength.

He flexed his fingers, and the very air around his hand trembled ever so slightly.

His senses had sharpened.

He could hear the distant hum of dying fluorescent lights, feel the subtle shift in the air currents, and even sense the faintest vibrations of movement beyond the walls.

Leon clenched his jaw.

This was power.

Not just raw strength, but a complete evolution of his physical form.

Leon slowly pushed himself up.

Eric and Dr. Carter were staring at him, wide-eyed.

"You okay, man?" Eric asked hesitantly.

Leon exhaled, rolling his shoulders.

"Better than okay."

He clenched his fist. The raw power coursing through his body was unlike anything he had ever felt before.

And then..

A notification appeared in his vision.

[Primary Core Absorbed]

→ Physical Attributes Enhanced

→ Reflexes Increased

→ Awakening Path: Predator

Leon’s eyes narrowed.

This wasn’t just a power-up.

It was the beginning of something much, much greater.

Leon turned to Dr. Carter.

“You wanted proof?” he said, his voice calm but firm.

Dr. Carter swallowed, glancing at the mutant’s corpse before looking back at Leon.

“You just crushed something unnatural and absorbed it into your body. That’s more than enough proof.”

Leon smirked. “Then you’re starting to understand.”

She didn’t argue. Instead, she rubbed her temple.

“If this virus is mutating people like this… and if these cores are real… then we’re dealing with something beyond a normal outbreak.”

Leon nodded. “That’s why I need your help, Doctor.”

Dr. Carter hesitated, then sighed. “You just survived something that should’ve killed you. If you say there’s worse to come, then… I’d be an idiot not to listen.”

Eric exhaled in relief. “So we’re all on the same page then? Good. Because I really don’t wanna deal with another one of those things without a plan.”

Leon smiled. “Then let’s make one.”

Leon exhaled slowly, focusing on the changes in his body. Every movement felt effortless, powerful, as if his muscles had been reforged into steel cords.

His hearing had become sharper, he could make out the faint buzzing of a fly somewhere in the room and the distant echo of boots stomping against the hospital’s tiled floors.

His sight had improved too. The dimly lit corridor now appeared clearer, sharper. Even the cracks on the peeling paint of the walls seemed more defined.

But the most profound change?

His instincts.

There was a new awareness inside him, a primal sense that made his entire body feel hyper-alert. He could predict movements, as if his brain was processing multiple possibilities at once.

It was unlike anything he had experienced before, even in his past life, when he had spent years training himself to survive in a world that had already collapsed.

This… was something more.

Something unnatural.

Eric and Dr. Carter were still staring at him, part awe, part concern.

Leon took a step forward..

and instantly reacted.

A faint whistle in the air.

Something sharp. Fast.

Without thinking, Leon’s body moved on its own.

He twisted his head to the side just as a scalpel flew past his cheek, slicing a single strand of his hair before embedding itself into the wall behind him.

THUNK!

Silence.

Eric’s eyes went wide.

“The hell was that?!”

Leon didn’t respond. He was already looking toward the source.

Dr. Carter.

She had thrown it.

Her breathing was steady. Her hands calm.

A test.

Leon smirked. Smart woman.

“I assume I passed?” he said.

Dr. Carter exhaled and folded her arms. “I had to be sure.”

Eric gawked at her. “Sure about what?! That he wasn’t gonna die?!”

Dr. Carter ignored him and focused on Leon. “Your reaction time is… inhuman.”

Leon rolled his shoulder. “Feels like it.”

“And the scalpel?” she pressed. “Did you see it coming?”

Leon shook his head. “I felt it.”

Dr. Carter narrowed her eyes. “Felt?”

Leon thought for a moment before answering. “It’s like… my body reacts before I even think. Like an animal sensing danger before it happens.”

Dr. Carter nodded thoughtfully. “Reflex enhancement, possibly tied to an unconscious predictive system. Your body is processing threats faster than your conscious mind can register.”

Eric raised an eyebrow. “So… ultra-fast reflexes? Like Spidey-sense or something?”

Leon smirked. “Something like that.”

Dr. Carter crossed her arms. “This means your combat capabilities have increased drastically. Your speed, strength, and reaction time make you a lot more dangerous.”

Leon’s smirk widened. “That’s the idea.”

Dr. Carter sighed. “But this also means we need to monitor the long-term effects. We don’t know how this mutation will progress. Your body could still be adapting.”

Leon wasn’t worried. He had lived through hell before.

This time, he had the upper hand.

Eric, however, wasn’t convinced. “Okay, so you’re stronger, faster, and basically a human cheat code now. But what’s next? Because I don’t think we can just sit around waiting for more of those things to show up.”

Leon nodded. Eric was right.

His enhanced abilities were a massive advantage, but they meant nothing if he didn’t act fast.

The outbreak was still in its early stages. The true collapse of society wouldn’t happen until seven days from now.

That meant he had time. Limited time.

First, he needed to secure resources.

Then, he needed a base of operations.

And most importantly?

He needed people.

Surviving alone was possible, but building a team was the only way to thrive.

Leon turned to Eric and Dr. Carter. “We need to move. Fast.”

Dr. Carter raised an eyebrow. “Where?”

Leon grinned.

“To get ready for the end of the world.”