Genesis Code: The Genetic Awakening-Chapter 47: Floor Boss (2)

The vestibular system is responsible for detecting changes in head movement and position. Disrupting it could leave a person feeling disoriented, unable to sense their position in relation to their surroundings.

At the moment, Caleb was fine, thanks to his domain sense. However, if his hearing remained compromised, it could negatively affect his combat abilities.

Suddenly, the monster made its move, believing its screech had disoriented the target.

For a creature of its size, the beetle was surprisingly agile. Its massive mandibles snapped toward Caleb, aiming to tear him apart in one swift motion.

It was a straightforward tactic, one that had proven effective against most prey. Unfortunately for the beetle, Caleb wasn’t like most prey.

BOOM!

SCREECH?!

A sharp, startled cry came from the beetle as it realized what had just happened. The "tiny snack" it thought was incapacitated had caught its mandibles with his bare hands!

The floor beneath Caleb cracked under the immense force the beetle exerted, dust and debris scattering around him. But Caleb didn’t budge.

A wide grin spread across his face. "Kekeke... What did you expect?"

The beetle, undeterred, switched tactics. Its glowing antennae lit up, sending a sudden blinding flash across the chamber

Even then, the monster could feel its mandibles locked in place. Caleb’s grip didn’t waver.

"Sorry to disappoint you," Caleb sneered, tightening his hold, "but that won’t work either!"

In one swift motion, Caleb shoved the beetle’s mandibles upward, lifting the massive creature off the ground. In an instant, he reappeared under its exposed belly and struck with a mana-infused punch.

BOOM...!!

CRACK...!

The beetle let out an ear-splitting screech as cracks spread like a web across its tough, stone-like armour. The sheer force of the blow sent it hurtling across the chamber.

The monster slammed into the hard floor but quickly rolled back onto its legs. Caleb was already there, his right hand poised to strike again.

"Sorry, beetle. I don’t have time to play."

BOOM!

But the creature wasn’t just a mindless brute. It dodged at the last second, Caleb’s fist slamming into the floor with a deafening thud.

"Damn it," Caleb muttered, eyes narrowing as the beetle scuttled away. "It’s smarter than it looks."

The beetle wasted no time, its mandibles clicking as it fired a thick strand of web, as wide as a man’s arm.

The sticky projectile zipped toward Caleb at an alarming speed. He dodged it just in time and moved to close the distance.

But something felt off. Caleb’s domain sense flared, catching the web midair as it twisted unnaturally, homing back on him like a missile.

"What the—?!" Caleb cursed, leaping aside as the web streaked past him again.

The beetle seized the opening, dashing forward with surprising speed. It appeared behind Caleb in an instant, its massive mandibles snapping open for another attack.

"Shit!" Caleb cursed as he spun in midair, positioning his body horizontally against the beetle’s crushing mandibles.

His arms caught one mandible above his head, while his legs locked against the other, trapping him in the creature’s relentless grip.

SCREEECH...!!!

The beetle screeched in fury, pouring every ounce of its brute force into crushing him. But Caleb refused to yield.

His muscles strained against the immense pressure, veins bulging as he gritted his teeth and pushed back. Both combatants were locked in a fierce contest of raw strength.

The beetle, however, wasn’t about to let him win so easily. Its mandibles clicked, firing another web that latched onto Caleb. The sticky strands wound tightly around him, constricting his movements and sapping his strength.

"Fucking hell!" Caleb growled, feeling the tightening grip of the web. Channelling his mana, he infused it into every fibre of his being. His strength surged, his body brimming with newfound power as his stats skyrocketed.

"It’s not that easy!" he roared.

Focusing his energy, Caleb began to compress his mana within, condensing it into a dense core. His body trembled under the strain, but he could feel the rising crescendo—an idea he’d once read about in fiction.

BOOOOM...!

With a deafening explosion, Caleb unleashed the compressed mana in a powerful burst. The shockwave tore through the air, disintegrating the web and blasting the beetle away.

The sheer force shattered the creature’s hold, sending it skidding across the chamber and into the numerous pillars.

[Mana Level: 67%]

Caleb glanced at the notification but paid it no mind. With his body still charged, he felt faster, stronger, and more reactive than ever.

Whoosh!

In an instant, he appeared above the beetle, which was still struggling to rise. Cracks webbed across its tough exoskeleton from the earlier blast, even its mandibles showing signs of damage.

"It’s over!" Caleb roared, his fist descending with unstoppable force. This time, the monster couldn’t evade. It took the full brunt of his strike.

BOOOM...!!!

The impact reverberated through the chamber, sending shockwaves that made the very space and pillars tremble violently.

The beetle stood no chance. Its body exploded in a gruesome burst of rock-like flesh, blood, and shattered body parts.

The overwhelming force obliterated its defences entirely, reducing it to a lifeless mess.

Caleb staggered back, his chest heaving as he let out a long exhale. "Haa..."

His body was soaked in the remnants of the creature, his breath heavy as exhaustion set in. The mana-infused state dissolved, leaving him drained.

[Mana Level: 45%]

The power behind Caleb’s strike was immense—there was no way the monster could have survived it.

He collapsed to the floor, bloodied and visibly drained. "That took more out of me than I thought," he muttered, breathing heavily.

Before him lay the monster’s core, larger and more radiant than any he’d encountered so far. Its brilliance was mesmerizing.

[Core: High level...]

The system’s notification confirmed his suspicion. Then, Caleb exhaled deeply, his focus momentarily shifting back to himself. "Let me fix my hearing for now," he thought.

His head felt off-balance like the world was tilting around him—a disorienting wave of vertigo. Without hesitation, Caleb reversed the changes affecting his senses.

A sharp, high-pitched ringing filled his ears for a second before fading, leaving him with a sense of relief as his equilibrium returned to normal.