Genesis Code: The Genetic Awakening
Chapter 154: A Test of Skills (2)

Chapter 154: A Test of Skills (2)

With Caleb’s nearly unlimited mana, the magic suppression artefacts should not have that much of an effect on him. His physical strength, speed and domain sense did not rely on mana.

However, to get the greatest boost in power and speed, he had to infuse his body with mana. Spells and abilities that in some way interact with the environment were on the fritz.

Teleporting had to do with manipulating the spatial principles around, thus, it required mana to work — mana that was quickly siphoned off. Of course, Caleb had the option of pushing the limits of the artefacts, but he was not in a rush.

"Ugh!"

The sting of the blow disoriented him for a second, then his regeneration kicked in. He rolled abruptly out of the trench just as a stomping attack crashed down from above.

BOOM!

"You bastard!"

No sooner had he scrambled to his feet than Caleb saw Luc charging at him in a fury, with the rest of his men right behind. All five closed in at once, intent on overwhelming him before he could retaliate.

The hooded leader wasted no time, swinging his sword at Caleb’s head. Caleb bent backwards to evade, but it was only the opening move.

Even as he dodged, the others were already on him—this time with fists flying. Relying on speed and sharp reflexes, he parried two swift strikes while retreating.

The third attack came fast. Caleb sidestepped it, but the fourth followed a split second later. He could dodge one, but not both.

"Mmgh!"

A blow cracked into the side of his face, staggering him just in time for a second punch to land on his other cheek, disorienting him further.

Luc didn’t let up. Breaking his momentum mid-charge, he spun on his heel, closed the distance, and drove a vicious knee into Caleb’s back.

"Urgh!"

Caleb groaned as the impact shot through his armour, cracking with a sickening snap. The force slammed into his body like a speeding train.

And it wasn’t over.

One of the attackers had launched into the air—only to dive straight down at Caleb’s face. The blow landed a split second after the knee strike, smashing him into the ground with a thunderous boom.

’Fuck...!’

Caleb cursed inwardly as his head struck the earth. For the first time in a while, he tasted his own blood. His regeneration kicked in swiftly—but the damage was done.

’Their coordination is no joke!’ Caleb thought anxiously. ’They’re like a well-oiled machine, and my lack of combat skill is finally showing!’

He was faster and stronger than his opponents. But in a fight against multiple enemies, speed alone wasn’t enough—especially with his boosters turned ’off.’

His lack of real combat experience was catching up to him. He had always known it was a weakness, something he needed to work on. But time and time again, he relied on his advantages, letting himself overlook it.

What if he ever faced someone—or a demon—with speed and power equal to his? Would his abilities be enough to close the gap? Probably.

But as a man of culture, that wasn’t acceptable.

Luc and his men gave Caleb no time to recover. Without exchanging a word, they moved in unison, each pinning down a limb to keep him restrained.

"You’re going to regret this," Luc said coldly as he loomed over Caleb. Then his right fist came crashing down, aimed squarely at Caleb’s face.

But Caleb wasn’t about to let some nobody pummel him. Gritting his teeth, he fought against his restrainers, his right arm gathering more force than the others—but it wasn’t going to be enough.

’Fuck it!’

He was done playing around. Combat skills could wait. Right now, he needed to protect his face. Just as the fist closed in, Caleb’s turquoise eyes ignited with blazing mana—and his body followed.

BOOM...!

"Ah...!"

An explosive burst of turquoise mana erupted from Caleb’s body, launching the five men into the air. Simultaneously, the magic circle above began spinning wildly, struggling to absorb the overwhelming surge of energy.

"Impossible!"

Luc cursed, wide-eyed, as he and his men crashed to the ground and rolled to a stop. They quickly braced themselves on one knee, stunned. Even the hooded leader couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

All eyes locked on Caleb—his form blazing with mana that surged around him like a raging firestorm. What he had just done should have been impossible under the suppression artefacts’ effects.

CRACK!

A sharp, splitting sound drew everyone’s gaze skyward. The suppression matrix overhead had fractured, visible cracks spreading across its surface.

"!"

’He’s overwhelming the artefacts!’ Luc reeled in horror as he sprang to his feet, eyes trembling beneath his hood. ’How does he have this much mana?!’ The man didn’t realise it, but he took an unconscious step back.

A final crack rang out as the matrix shattered completely, the suppression artefacts below now visibly fractured and damaged.

"Let’s get this over with," Caleb said calmly—then vanished in a flash.

"!"

The hooded leader’s heart skipped a beat as he sensed Caleb behind him. He barely began to turn when a hand clamped around his neck and slammed his face into the ground.

BOOM!

"Sir!"

Luc’s men reacted too late. As they scrambled to move, a voice whispered from behind one of them.

"Over here."

Like a ghost, Caleb appeared beside the nearest man and drove a kick into the back of his neck, dropping him into the ground just like Luc.

Barely a second had passed since the first strike. And before the others could even blink, Caleb had already taken down two more.

"No way..."

The remaining knights and bounty hunters stepped back, trembling. They hadn’t been able to follow his movements—not from start to finish.

"He took all five out in a second..."

Caleb stood amidst the fallen, mana still flaring around him like a storm of fire. The air turned thick with pressure, and silence blanketed the area. No one dared make a move. No one even breathed too loudly.

In that moment, the truth dawned on everyone present—Caleb was completely out of their league.

Without a word, he shot into the sky, blazing toward Jess’s direction and leaving a stunned, silent crowd in his wake.

"Yeah... I’m going back home."

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.