Genesis Code: The Genetic Awakening-Chapter 62: The Last Floor (2)

The dragon wasn’t outdone—it wasn’t a simple creature. Sure, it expected Caleb to tremble in its presence, but if he didn’t follow the script, that was fine too.

Even without seeing him, the dragon knew the puny human was blazing through the flames, somehow ignoring their power.

As the floor boss, it was aware of the minions above it and the abilities they wielded.

Caleb spatially displaced himself as the flames engulfed him. His momentum faltered for a moment before he gritted his teeth.

’Tsk! Even in a separate space, the flames are strong enough to be felt.’ He channeled more mana into the ability, but felt no different. ’It’s not just about using more mana—there’s something about grasping its nuances.’

Emerging from the flames, Caleb appeared before the dragon, his right hand clenched into a fist.

The creature didn’t remain idle, responding almost instantly. As soon as Caleb appeared, it gave a low growl and swung its tail at him.

’Shit!’ Caleb cursed, startled by how fast the tail came at him. He redirected his blow toward it.

BANG...!!!

Fist and tail collided in a thunderous explosion, whipping the tail to the side, trembling from the sheer force of impact.

BOOM!

Caleb crashed onto the scorching ground, skidding several meters before coming to a stop.

’Damn...’ His eyes burned with determination as he stared at the creature. ’That blow was heavy as fuck.’

His right hand trembled from the impact, his feet ached from skidding across the hot ground, and even his shoes showed signs of burning and wear.

Despite all this, a grin was plastered on Caleb’s face—he was clearly enjoying the challenge.

Without hesitation, he moved, and the dragon responded in equal measure. It understood that taking on this opponent required it to act proactively.

’Never judge an opponent by its size.’ Caleb made a mental note as he clashed with the dragon a second time.

BOOM...!!!

By all logic, the size difference should have made it impossible for Caleb to move such a beast, but his physical strength was far beyond mortal limits.

Claws met fists in another eruption, sending shockwaves rippling through the space. Pools of lava splashed everywhere, craters formed with every clash, and boulders crumbled into dust.

Undeterred by the destruction around them, Caleb and the dragon sped across the domain, exchanging blows like the mad creatures they were.

The dragon attacked with its massive fangs, claws, body, and tail, yet Caleb countered every move, delivering his own strikes in return.

At a glance, they seemed evenly matched. But that wasn’t the case.

For Caleb to keep up, he had to move twice as fast just to cover the same distance.

’Hehe... this dragon is amazing,’ he mused, his grin widening. ’Its scales are tough as nails. My attacks aren’t breaking through at all. I’ll have to go all out... but then, the dragon hasn’t gone all out either.’ frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

His gaze briefly flicked to the monster’s description on his HUD.

[Inferno Dragon: A red dragon and the final boss monster of the dungeon]

[Abilities: Capable of unleashing powerful, incinerating flames. Can create a fire domain that traps its targets, becoming the master of flames. Able to condense its body into a humanoid form, boosting speed and power.]

’This thing is a true monster.’

Caleb’s eyes met the dragon’s as they separated for the umpteenth time.

The battlefield was a wreck of burning craters and rivers of lava—they had more or less reshaped the entire floor.

’Waiting for the monster to go all out might be a stupid move.’ Caleb narrowed his eyes at the dragon. ’It’s best to eliminate it before it unleashes that domain or takes its humanoid form.’

Then, the air around him shifted, and the dragon picked up on it instantly. Its sharp instincts screamed that the puny human was about to do something dangerous—something that could threaten its very existence.

Caleb set his mana ablaze, his aura erupting with ferocious momentum. The ground and air trembled as gravity seemed to triple in force.

Then, he dashed forward, leaving a blazing trail in his wake. The dragon reacted just as fast, raising its head and letting out a deafening roar.

A red aura engulfed its massive body, and a powerful shockwave burst forth. The wave spread rapidly, colliding with Caleb mid-run like a speeding train.

Caleb saw it coming and crossed his arms to absorb the impact. But he had underestimated its sheer force.

BOOM...!!!

"Ugh...!" A groan escaped his lips as he was sent hurtling back several hundred meters.

The moment he crashed into the scorching ground, a sudden shift in temperature surrounded him—an unbearable heat rising even further.

"Fuck..." Caleb cursed, steadying himself. "It unleashed its domain."

Looking around, he saw a massive semi-sphere surrounding both him and the dragon. The dome had a radius of over seven hundred meters—making it a staggering 1,400 meters in diameter.

The air had turned red, laced with visible heat flares. The ground beneath his feet smoldered, radiating searing heat.

Everything was scorching. Sweat dripped from his brow, down his back, between his joints—everywhere.

"Oh, fuck me..." Caleb groaned, turning his gaze toward the dragon in the distance.

The massive beast had taken on a humanoid form, standing over three meters tall.

A crown of sharp, curved horns jutted from its head, pointing upward and slightly back. Its eyes burned a fiery red, glowing with intensity, dripping flames like molten tears.

Blood-red scales covered its entire bulky frame, except for its joints and stomach. A thick, scaly tail extended for balance, and a pair of powerful wings stretched behind it.

Everything about the monster radiated raw power and savagery—an apex predator, without a doubt.

And to complete its transformation, it let out an earth-shaking roar, infused with so much killing intent that a normal adventurer would have died on the spot.

"Yeah... no kidding." Caleb muttered with a serious gaze. Things were no longer simple.

[Mana: 86%]

For the second time, he set his man ablaze, increasing his physical stats. His shirt was more or less rags now and had to be thrown to the side.

Caleb stared directly at the creature and the monster did the same, the air thick with tension.

"Huu..." He let out a steamy breath, closing his eyes for a moment before abruptly opening them. "Time for round two."

BOOM...!!!