Chapter 1: The Feast of the Weak
The world didn't end with a bang. It ended with a microscopic twitch in the human genetic code.
Arjun lay paralyzed behind a rusted hospital gurney, his breath shallow and jagged. Outside the shattered window, the sky of New Delhi was no longer blue; it was a bruised, pulsating violet—the color of the 'Atmospheric Mutation.'
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The sound of claws on linoleum floors echoed through the corridor. A 'Shadow-Wolf'—a creature whose DNA had been warped by the radiation—was hunting. Its fur was matted with a strange, bioluminescent slime, and its eyes glowed with a predatory hunger that defied nature.
Arjun squeezed his eyes shut. He was a 'Blank'—the 10% of the population whose bodies had rejected the initial mutation. While others gained super-strength or elemental powers, he remained fragile, a relic of a dying species.
'If I die here, no one will even remember my name,' he thought, his heart hammering against his ribs. He could feel his Systolic Pressure skyrocketing, his pulse thundering in his ears like a war drum.
Suddenly, a cold, crystalline voice shattered the silence inside his mind.
[Initialization Complete.]
[Detection: Host is in a state of terminal adrenaline surge.]
[Analyzing Genetic Compatibility... 99.99%.]
[The 'Primordial Evolution System' is now binding to the Host's Neural Pathways.]
Arjun's eyes snapped open. "What...?"
[Emergency Protocol: Forced Cellular Restructuring Initiated.]
Before he could scream, his world turned into a kaleidoscope of pain. It felt as if every single one of his 37 trillion cells was being ripped apart and reassembled by invisible needles.
His Metabolism accelerated to impossible levels. The heat radiating from his skin was so intense it began to singe his tattered shirt. He could feel his Muscle Fibers snapping, then weaving back together, becoming denser, more flexible, and terrifyingly strong.
[Genetic Limiter: BROKEN.]
[New Passive Ability Unlocked: 'Cellular Consumption'.]
[Warning: Shadow-Wolf has detected the Host's heat signature.]
The door to the room exploded. The Shadow-Wolf leapt, a blur of dark fur and razor-sharp fangs.
In the past, Arjun would have been dead before he could blink. But now, his Nervous System was firing signals at the speed of light. The world seemed to slow down. He could see the individual droplets of saliva flying from the wolf's mouth.
He didn't run. He lunged forward.
Arjun's hand—now vibrating with a strange, dark energy—slammed into the wolf's throat. Tiny, microscopic tendrils—Micro-villi—erupted from his pores, piercing the creature's hide.
[Beginning DNA Extraction...]
[Absorbing 'Shadow-Wolf' Genetic Sequence.]
[Acquiring Active Skill: 'Night-Stalker's Vision'.]
[Upgrading Bone Density... Success.]
A surge of raw, primal energy flowed from the wolf into Arjun's arm. He watched in horrific fascination as the wolf's body began to wither, its very essence being sucked into his own Cytoplasm.
Within seconds, the 200-pound beast was nothing but a pile of ash.
Arjun stood up, his height increasing by two inches as his skeleton recalculated its structure. His vision shifted; the pitch-black room was now as bright as day, his Retinas having evolved to perceive the infrared spectrum.
He looked at his hands. He was no longer the 'Blank' everyone pitied. He was the ultimate predator.
[System Notification: The First Step of Evolution is complete. The world is your buffet. Will you remain a prey, or will you become the Apex?]
Arjun looked out at the ruined city and smirked. "I'm just getting started."