The world had changed a hundred years ago. When the Dimensional Gates appeared, humanity thought it was the end. Monsters poured out, cities fell, and the strong devoured the weak. But then, humans discovered the power of evolution.
By hunting beasts from the other side of the Gates, they could absorb their Genetic Essence and evolve. Strength, speed, intelligence—everything could be enhanced.
And so, the age of the Sanctuary Realms began.
But not for Zayn Kael.
Zayn stood at the back of a long line of scavengers, watching as warriors in gleaming combat suits entered the massive portal ahead. It shimmered like a liquid mirror, its swirling blue surface leading to the First Sanctuary Realm—the weakest of all hunting grounds.
Weakest, but still deadly.
"Move faster, trash!"
A guard shoved Zayn forward, his rough hand pressing against Zayn's tattered coat. He stumbled but didn’t retaliate. Fighting back against a Gene Warrior was suicide. Unlike him, they had absorbed Gene Points and evolved beyond normal human limits.
Zayn clenched his fists.
All his life, he had been branded genetic trash—someone with a defective gene sequence that made him unable to evolve. No matter how many beasts he hunted, his Gene System rejected their essence. He was stuck at Level 0, while others soared through the ranks, gaining superhuman abilities.
And in this world, power was everything.
"Next!"
Zayn stepped forward, showing his outdated wristband to the Sanctuary Officer. The man barely glanced at it before sneering.
"Still scavenging, huh? Surprised you’re not dead yet."
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
Zayn ignored the insult. He had no choice but to scavenge. Without the ability to evolve, he could only pick through the remains of dead beasts, hoping to find scraps left behind by real hunters.
The officer sighed. "Fine. Go in. But don’t expect anyone to save you if you get eaten."
Zayn stepped through the portal.
The First Sanctuary Realm was a desolate wasteland of ruined cities and overgrown forests. The sky above was eternally twilight, a swirling mix of blue and red clouds. In the distance, a pack of Ironhide Wolves prowled the cracked streets, their metallic fur gleaming under the dim light.
Zayn exhaled slowly.
He couldn't fight them. A single Ironhide Wolf had 5 Gene Points—far stronger than any ordinary human. Instead, he moved through the alleyways, searching for leftover beast corpses from previous battles.
Hours passed. He found nothing.
His stomach growled, but he ignored it. Hunger was normal.
Then—
A sudden explosion rocked the ground. Zayn spun around, eyes widening as he saw a battle unfolding at the city’s edge. Three Gene Hunters were locked in combat with a massive creature—a Shadowfang Panther, its sleek black body flickering between reality and darkness.
A rare-tier beast.
Zayn crouched low, waiting. This was his chance. If the hunters killed it and left behind any genetic remnants, he could—
CRACK!
Lightning arced through the sky. The beast roared, but it was outmatched. Within minutes, the hunters delivered the final blow, the last sword strike piercing its heart. The Shadowfang Panther let out a dying snarl before collapsing.
The hunters quickly extracted the best parts—the heart, the core, the fangs. Then, satisfied, they left.
Zayn moved immediately.
He ran toward the corpse, heart pounding. He needed to find something—anything!
As he reached the remains, his breath caught. There, half-buried in the creature’s shattered skull, was a glowing red crystal.
A Gene Core.
His fingers trembled as he touched it. Even low-tier warriors would kill for this.
And then—
[WARNING! UNSTABLE GENETIC ESSENCE DETECTED.]
Zayn’s wristband flickered with red lights. His eyes widened.
[ERROR! UNREGISTERED GENE CORE IDENTIFIED.][DO YOU WISH TO ABSORB?]
His heart pounded.
For the first time in his life… his Gene System had reacted.
Without hesitation, he whispered—
"Absorb."
And everything turned black.
