Genesis Code: The Genetic Awakening-Chapter 61: The Last Floor (1)

Caleb’s dungeon-clearing rate skyrocketed after his [Bio-Interface] upgrade. There were barely any monsters that could stand against him.

Still, he didn’t rely too much on the system skill—he preferred getting his hands dirty. The thrill that surged through him whenever his fists connected with his prey made him feel alive.

At this point, he was a full-fledged battle junkie, not that he minded.

He blazed through the 21st to the 49th floor, now just one step away from clearing the entire dungeon.

The floor after the guardian introduced him to swamps and marshlands, where he faced creatures like Bog Gnashers—monsters that lurked in water, striking their prey when least expected.

Unexpectedly, he encountered a hydra in this stretch of floors. As described in literature, it had seven heads and served as the boss monster, boasting several interesting abilities, particularly the power to regrow severed heads.

Out of curiosity, Caleb lopped off one, unsurprised when it regenerated. Ultimately, he defeated the beast by striking at its core—another Tier 1 core added to his collection.

From the 31st floor onward, the terrain shifted drastically into a frozen tundra. Here, he battled ice wolves, blizzard wyrms, and something truly unexpected—a Snowbound Lich.

[Snowbound Lich: A skeletal sorcerer with frost-encrusted robes and a staff of ice.]

[Abilities: Casts ice-based magic and reanimates frozen corpses as minions.]

An interesting discovery. Unfortunately, the floor didn’t offer any abilities that caught his interest. However, he did gain the cold resistance of the monsters that roamed there.

The 40th floor was where things took a turn. There, Caleb encountered an Ice Wyvern. To him, it was no different from a dragon—the sheer size alone was enough to impress.

After an intense battle, ice-based attacks flying everywhere, he finally brought the beast down. He had shattered its defences by hammering down on a single weak point over time.

His reward? A Tier 2 core. Unlike the Tier 1 cores, this one contained an exponentially greater amount of mana—according to his system, a single Tier 2 core was equivalent to five Tier 1 cores.

Naturally, he also inherited the Ice Wyvern’s abilities, granting him the power to manipulate ice with nothing but a thought.

The 41st floor, however, was the complete opposite—a volcanic, magma-filled wasteland. Rivers of lava flowed as far as the eye could see, and the sky was thick with soot and smoke.

The overwhelming heat forced Caleb to tear off his sleeves just to endure it.

On this floor and the ones that followed, he faced flame-infused creatures—Magma Raptors, Lavaborn Minotaurs, and more.

He fought them all, absorbing their fire resistance but discarding their abilities, finding them lacking.

What truly piqued his interest was the floor boss. Based on the previous guardian he had faced, he had a feeling this one would be the apex predator of them all.

Over the course of several days, Caleb continued to do battle, absorb the mana cores while growing in strength, mana and experience.

........

Caleb took a deep breath before diving into the gateway leading to the 50th floor.

When he opened his eyes, a massive volcanic mountain loomed in the distance, spewing rivers of lava that carved glowing trails through the rocky terrain.

The air shimmered with heat, rising to unbearable temperatures—enough to burn the lungs of anyone without fire resistance.

The sky was a chaotic blend of orange, yellow, and red, a testament to how the environment had warped the atmosphere itself.

Unlike the previous floors, this one wasn’t particularly vast.

"This must be the last floor," Caleb muttered, taking in the sight. "And I hope it’s a..."

A thunderous roar cut through the air, shaking the entire floor. A suffocating pressure crashed down on everything in the space.

"Bingo." Caleb chuckled as the ground beneath him trembled. "It’s making its appearance."

His gaze snapped to the mountain peak, where rivers of lava cascaded down its sides. A massive claw emerged, gripping the mountainside with a force that sent tremors rippling through the terrain. Then another followed, each movement reshaping the land beneath it.

Under the crushing aura, Caleb stood firm, barely affected.

Finally, what he had been waiting for revealed itself in full.

A dragon.

The creature was as majestic as it was enormous, its powerful scales glistening with the molten fire it had emerged from.

Standing at a towering 15 meters tall and stretching 90 meters in length, the dragon exuded sheer dominance.

Perched atop the volcanic mountain, the crimson beast glared down at Caleb with the fury of a guardian whose treasure had been stolen.

ROAR...!!!

Another earth-shaking roar erupted from its maw as its massive wings unfurled, sending violent gusts rippling through the air.

In response, Caleb grinned, stepping forward as his aura seeped out, meeting the dragon’s overwhelming presence despite his smaller stature.

The ground trembled beneath them, the very integrity of the dungeon seemingly on the verge of collapse.

"You should be more of a challenge compared to the last one."

As if understanding his words, the dragon’s eyes ignited with burning fury. Its maw parted, and an intense, fiery glow gathered within—a searing mass of condensed destruction.

The sky darkened, an eerie silence settling over the battlefield for a split second. Then, with a deafening roar, the dragon unleashed its attack.

A massive fireball, the size of a speeding train, tore through the superheated air, streaking toward Caleb with devastating force.

Caleb stared at the incoming attack with an unwavering gaze. Then, he moved.

The ground beneath Caleb’s feet shattered as he dashed to the side, his figure blurring from sheer speed.

BOOM...!!!

The dragon’s breath attack struck the ground, triggering a cataclysmic explosion that sent shockwaves rippling through the battlefield.

Flames roared across the terrain, incinerating everything in their path and leaving behind a massive, smouldering crater.

Yet, Caleb was nowhere to be seen.

The dragon, however, knew better. Its sharp gaze tracked the lone figure streaking toward it like a speeding bullet.

With a snort, the beast wasted no time, launching another attack. Despite its monstrous size, its reaction speed was astonishing—far faster than Caleb had anticipated.

For a split second, surprise flickered across his face. He had expected a longer delay between attacks.

’No matter.’ Caleb grinned, his body shimmering with a whitish mist as his ice abilities flared to life. ’I should still be able to reach it just fine.’

Even with his fire resistance, the sheer intensity of the dragon’s flames was greater than he had imagined.

As the second attack blazed toward him, Caleb didn’t dodge. Instead, he planted his feet firmly, pausing just long enough to gather momentum.

BOOM!

In an instant, he launched himself forward like a missile—straight into the oncoming flames.

The dragon’s eyes widened ever so slightly, caught off guard by the reckless manoeuvre.