Genesis Code: The Genetic Awakening-Chapter 63: An Interesting Discovery

Caleb circulated a stream of cold mana around himself to counter the intense heat.

Even then, sweat poured down his body, making everything uncomfortable. But that wasn’t about to stop him.

As the air burned with heat flares, Caleb suddenly vanished in a burst of speed, shattering the ground beneath him.

The dragon moved the moment he did, and from all indications, Caleb could tell it wasn’t ordinary.

’This dragon should have enough intelligence to understand speech,’ Caleb pondered. ’Yet, it hasn’t said a word. It’s like something is stopping it.’

BOOM...!!!

Caleb’s fist clashed against the dragon’s much larger one, triggering a thunderous explosion that rippled through the domain, far stronger than the ones before.

Neither stepped back, appearing evenly matched. But Caleb knew he had the upper hand.

"Heh..." Caleb grinned. "Sorry, mate, but it’s not enough!"

With a loud roar, he overpowered the dragon, sending it crashing across its own domain until...

BOOM...!!!

The dragon smashed into a mountain, reducing it to a pile of rubble and boiling magma.

Without hesitation, Caleb shot forward, appearing above the dragon and descending like a blazing meteorite.

But the dragon recovered fast, turning to face him.

A menacing growl rumbled from its throat as its eyes flared an intense fiery red. Then, it unleashed two powerful beams straight at him.

The beams were fast—much faster than Caleb had expected.

’Shit!’ He cursed, acting swiftly to displace himself into another space.

But this time, he miscalculated. These beams were different.

Inside the dragon’s domain, its flames defied all limits.

"!"

Caleb’s heart skipped a beat as the two beams somehow tore through the separate space, still heading straight for his midsection.

’Fucking hell!’

With a loud roar, he twisted his body, barely managing to veer off their trajectory. Unfortunately, he was a fraction too slow, caught completely off guard.

"Ah...!!!"

A cry of agony tore from his lips as the beams did more than just graze him—they burned through his flesh like a hot knife through butter.

Almost poetic.

The dragon seized the opportunity, shooting upward to meet Caleb, its claws glistening with red-hot flames.

With his momentum disrupted and pain flooding his senses, he was left wide open.

ROAR...!!!

The dragon closed in, appearing just above him before taking a wide swipe.

Despite his state, Caleb still managed to react, crossing his arms in front of him—a risky move, but better than nothing.

The claws connected, tearing through flesh and nearly reaching the bone. A fresh wave of searing pain exploded through him as he was sent hurtling downward.

BOOM...!!!

Caleb crashed into the fiery earth with a groan, sending dirt and streams of lava flying.

’Fuck!’ He cursed inwardly. ’I haven’t taken damage like this before!’

Luckily, the mana aura and cold energy surrounding him shielded him from the lava’s deadly embrace. Then, his regeneration kicked in, rapidly mending the wounds on his side and arms.

’I need to end this now, or I’m in big trouble!’

[Mana: 54%]

Before he could catch his breath, another dragon breath attack came roaring toward him, giving him no chance to recover.

He leapt out of the crater just seconds before it struck.

BOOM...!!!

"Huu..." Caleb exhaled sharply, steadying himself as his gaze locked onto the dragon soaring toward him.

"Your abilities are impressive, and I’m grateful to witness them," Caleb said. "But... all beings are slaves to their genetic code."

As the last of his wounds sealed shut, he stood upright, lifting his right hand toward the dragon.

He had wanted to play with it a bit longer, but time was running out, and his abilities were lacking. Ice wasn’t enough—its scales were too damn tough.

’No wonder it’s the final boss monster.’

ROAR...!

The dragon sensed the shift in the air, its instincts flaring. With a powerful flap of its wings, it surged forward, closing the distance in an instant.

"Too late," Caleb muttered, his eyes glowing with a turquoise hue.

Within his irises, the dragon’s genetic code unravelled in intricate rows, shifting rapidly as he read and copied what he needed.

"Go to sleep."

The final words left his lips as the last of his mana drained, fueling the skill.

The dragon suddenly faltered, its flight disrupted as an unbearable pain tore through its body.

Its tough scales, stomach, and even its head began to twist and writhe. Every cell squirmed and mutated as the genetic imbalance devoured it from within.

BOOM...!

The dragon plummeted like a missile, slamming into the ground with earth-shaking force, but Caleb was nowhere to be seen.

He had leapt away just before impact, now on his knees a few dozen meters away, his breath ragged and uneven.

Lifting his head, he watched as the dragon writhed and howled in agony.

Its flesh melted, bones jutted out from unnatural angles, and its entire form collapsed in on itself.

Then, at last, the fiery domain vanished, returning the atmosphere to its former state.

Slowly, the dragon let out a final wheeze as life drained from its humanoid body.

Sometime later, Caleb rose to his feet and walked toward the now-lifeless beast.

"Even in death, the heat it gives off is no joke." He exhaled, feeling a rare sense of respect. "A true apex predator. Makes me wonder how a majestic creature like you ended up as a dungeon monster."

He heaved another sigh before stepping closer to retrieve the core.

[Tier 3 Core Obtained]

"As predicted," Caleb muttered, staring at the massive core, nearly the size of a football. "Could it be...?"

The same foreign aura clung to the core, making him wonder if that was what had bound the dragon to the dungeon.

It was hard to believe a creature as majestic and overpowered as a dragon could be a mere dungeon monster.

"Maybe it was weak?" he speculated. "Regardless, I should be done here. But what exactly am I supposed to do now?"

He tossed the core into his storage and turned, surveying the battlefield. The ground was a chaotic mess of lava pools, broken boulders and craters, simmering with intense heat waves.

This wasn’t a video game where a little fanfare signalled victory and wrapped things up neatly. But then...

Ding!

A system prompt suddenly appeared, catching his attention.

"Well, isn’t this interesting?"