Genesis Code: The Genetic Awakening-Chapter 123: Easy To Deal With (2)

BOOM...!!!

Oliver and his men watched as the disintegration spell detonated, the sheer violence of its force hammering against their barrier until it collapsed under the pressure.

BOOM...!!!

The follow-up explosion was deafening — a wave of scorching heat surged outward, sending the crime boss and his men stumbling back. Shockwaves tore through the landscape, ripping up the earth, uprooting trees, and vaporizing everything within reach.

"Ah...!"

Even at a distance, the blast hurled several Dack Knight members into thick tree trunks, slammed them against the ground, and scattered them across boulders like rag dolls.

’It’s stronger than I expected...’

Oliver’s eyes widened in horror. He lowered his stance, hands raised to shield his face, his boots digging into the dirt to keep from being swept away.

’There’s no way anyone could survive that.’

He’d called in more favours than he could count and cashed in every IOU he had just to get his hands on that spell. It was strictly forbidden — a weapon not meant for civilians. Mere possession was grounds for execution.

In short, it wasn’t cheap.

Dust and smoke cloaked the battlefield for minutes while the assailants struggled to recover. The aftermath was quiet, unsettling.

’Good riddance...’ Even after completing the mission, Oliver felt no satisfaction. ’At least our clients won’t have to worry about them anymore.’

As the smoke began to lift, the true devastation became clear — a vast crater, glowing with molten lava, sat in the heart of the clearing. Its radiant heat reached them even from afar, distorting the air.

"W-what is that...?"

One of the men pointed with a trembling hand. Above the molten crater hovered a strange sphere — its surface rippling like magma, radiating intense heat.

CRACK!

A sudden fissure spread across the sphere’s surface, drawing startled gasps from the group. They recoiled instinctively. Oliver on the other hand stood frozen, eyes narrowing.

’T-this can’t be... No one can survive that!’

Regardless of how he felt, the cracks continued to expand with a deepening hum until the sphere shattered — hundreds of crystalline fragments scattering like glass.

And then... they appeared.

Floating calmly above the crater, Caleb emerged from the remnants of the mana shell, Jess clinging tightly to his neck. Neither bore a single burn nor injury. They were utterly untouched.

"Hah... That was unexpected."

Caleb’s voice rang out, casual and unaffected. It sent a chill down the spines of those watching.

"And also, a new discovery."

He raised his left hand, palm open. Then, one of the crystalline fragments hovered and shot into his grasp. His fingers closed around it as he studied it curiously.

’...So this is what happens when mana compresses under extreme magical pressure.’

The fragment glowed faintly, warm to his touch yet solid — smooth, translucent, and angular like cut gemstone. He turned it over, eyes narrowing in thought.

’It crystallized... the moment I forced my mana to form a barrier faster than it could dissipate.’ It wasn’t spellwork — just raw instinct. ’Mana density reached a critical point... and it solidified.’

A small smile touched his lips, one of both realization and anticipation.

’I might’ve just stumbled onto a new form of magic defence.’

He looked up slowly, his gaze locking onto Oliver. "Your little nuke just gave me a breakthrough. So... thanks for that."

"Y-you..." Oliver growled low, mana glowing in his eyes. "You should be dead."

"Sorry, Oliver," Caleb replied, his voice calm and unbothered. The words made the crime boss’s heart skip. "But we don’t always get what we want."

Caleb floated toward the crater’s edge, his gaze steady. The assailants instinctively pulled back, dread weighing heavy on their already-drained bodies.

Most had exhausted their mana for that one spell—barely able to remain standing now.

"Remember what I said earlier...?" Caleb set Jess gently on the ground, turning with a faint grin to face Oliver.

Oliver understood perfectly. He didn’t need to be reminded. But before the thought could form fully, Caleb’s figure flickered—then vanished.

"!"

Oliver didn’t hesitate. The moment Caleb and Jess had emerged unscathed, he’d known there’d be retaliation. He was already braced, his defensive artefact at the ready.

Caleb wasn’t too worried about taking damage—not since his last few power-ups. Two dungeon cores now fueled his mana pool, making him almost untouchable.

Almost, because the disintegration spell had enough raw power to actually hurt him.

Severely.

He could’ve brute-forced his way through the forcefield’s teleportation lockout, but the speed of the disintegration spell’s activation had caught him off guard.

A system warning had flared at the last moment, forcing him to act on instinct.

Caleb materialized before Oliver, fist already swinging toward the crime boss’s face. A solid punch should’ve been enough. Break a few bones, humble him a little.

But Oliver reacted just as fast. With a smooth motion, he pulled out a circular shield—something Caleb recognized as an artefact. It caught him off guard... but only for a second.

BANG...!

’Huh?’

Caleb’s eyes narrowed. The punch landed, but the shield held. That much force should’ve sent Oliver flying, maybe even fractured a rib or two.

Instead...

BOOM...!

Caleb was blasted backwards, the redirected force slamming into his chest. He skidded across the ground, boots tearing into the dirt, only stopping just before the crater’s edge.

A flicker of surprise crossed his face... quickly replaced by curiosity.

’Amplification and redirection, huh...’

He’d seen it in that instant. The shield had flared—runes lighting up, absorbing the blow, amplifying it, and firing it right back at him. All within a blink.

"Ah—boss!"

Oliver’s men winced at the sudden explosion. None of them had seen what happened. One moment Caleb had disappeared, the next, he was back where he started, steam rising from his right hand.

Oliver straightened, confidence returning to his stance.

"You may have survived that spell," he said coolly. "But that doesn’t mean I’m easy to deal with."

Caleb said nothing at first, flexing his hand. The numbing force from the rebound was already fading. He glanced at the steam still coiling from his knuckles, then at the faint shimmer of mana around the shield.

"We’ll see about that," Caleb replied smugly, looking over to Jess. "Want to deal with the extras or would you like to take on the boss?"

Jess looked at her man, then at the crime boss and back to Caleb, smiling sweetly.

"Nah..." Jess shook her head. Looking behind the crime boss, a predatory grin appeared on her face. "He’s all yours... I’ll handle the small fries."

The catwoman said and disappeared in a burst of speed.