Apocalyse: Marked by Chaos
Chapter 122 - 121 Watching and Waiting

Chapter 122: Chapter 121 Watching and Waiting

She jumped off just in time. Her body hit the ground hard, her arms shook, and her lungs begged for air. She did it. She slumped to the ground, as the effect of the adrenaline wears off, the pain from her injuries shot through her body.

The monster gave one last twitch before going still.

Silence fell across the chamber.

Then the speaker’s voice returned. "Time: Four minutes, forty-two seconds. Subject: Alive. Core retrieval permitted."

A medic jumped into the pit.

Another person dropped down with a glowing extraction tool. They cut into the monster’s body, retrieving the large pulsating red core.

He handed it to Olivia.

Olivia stared at the core, her hand trembled as she took it.

"It’s yours," the medic said. "You earned it."

The core pulsed in her hand, at least she could upgrade her level now, then she glanced up at the platform.

Michael was watching her from above. His expression was unreadable.

But she didn’t care, she forced herself up, proudly smirking before raising the core in the air.

"I won," she said through gritted teeth. "Now leave me the hell alone."

Nobody cheered, everywhere was so silent, as if they were in a graveyard. But Olivia didn’t need their applause.

She had survived, and the monster was dead.

Slowly, she limped toward the side of the pit, clutching the core against her chest.

Her leg burned with every step, but she refused to fall again. Not in front of them.

A ladder was lowered down to her.

The medic looked at her with both pity and awe, but didn’t say anything as he helped her grab onto the first rung.

With a hiss of pain, Olivia started to climb.

Each pull of her arms sent jolts of fire through her injured muscles, but she gritted her teeth and kept going.

When she finally reached the top, she collapsed to her knees, breathing hard.

Michael approached her.

For a second, she thought he was going to say something, maybe a compliment, maybe another cold scolding — but instead, he just looked at her.

"You fulfilled the condition," he said simply. "The case is closed."

She clenched the core tighter.

"Next time," Michael added, his voice low enough only she could hear, "remember this feeling of survival. You’ll need it."

He turned and walked away, his black coat swaying behind him.

The crowd that had gathered began to disperse. Some gave her lingering glances — not with admiration, but with something more complicated. Jealousy, and disbelief.

She sat there on the ground for a few more minutes, letting her racing heart calm.

The core pulsed warmly against her palm, a reminder that she had earned it.

That she was stronger than she thought.

But just as she tried to relax, a strange sensation prickled the back of her neck.

She froze. Her brows knitted together, it felt like someone was watching her.

Olivia slowly lifted her head, her green eyes scanning the area. But she only saw the crowd leaving, some teachers whispering among themselves, others giving her cautious looks.

But none of them were the source of the cold gaze she felt.

Her eyes narrowed. She looked to the left, to the right, even behind her.

There was nothing.

Still, she could feel it, it was heavy, cold, almost as if a pair of eyes were drilling into her soul from the shadows.

Her grip on the core tightened, as a shiver ran down her spine.

She shook her head. Maybe it was just her mind playing tricks on her. She had been through a lot. Maybe she was just being paranoid.

But the feeling didn’t leave. It clung to her skin like a second layer.

She tried to stand, but the pain made her body protest against every movement. Blood had pooled beneath her, soaking through the makeshift bandages.

Her body was breaking down faster than she expected.

Her gaze fell on the core in her hand. If she consumed it now... maybe she could heal.

Maybe she could get enough strength to make it out of here without collapsing like a weakling.

Without a second thought, she tucked the core close to her body and limped out of the arena, ignoring the invisible piercing gaze that seemed to follow her every step.

Each movement was agony, but she didn’t stop. She had no intention of fainting in front of these people.

Especially not when she had already survived the worst part.

As she disappeared through the exit, the shadows stirred at the far end of the chamber.

Michael, who had been observing quietly from the side, now moved.

He walked towards a darkened corner of the room, where a man dressed entirely in black sat silently.

The man looked like he had been there the whole time, but nobody else had noticed him. His presence blended into the shadows too easily.

Michael stopped a few feet away.

"She survived," Michael said simply, his voice low.

The man tilted his head slightly, a small, knowing smile pulling at the edge of his lips.

"She’s different," the man replied. His voice was smooth, almost too calm.

Michael’s expression darkened slightly. "More trouble than expected."

The man didn’t answer. He simply leaned back in his chair, his black-gloved fingers tapping idly against his leg.

After a long silence, he finally said, "Keep an eye on her. The real game hasn’t even begun."

Michael nodded stiffly. He dared not refute his words, even though he would have preferred to get rid of her.

Without another word, he turned and walked away, his coat brushing against the cold stone floor.

The man in the black suit remained seated, eyes gleaming faintly in the dark.

Watching, and waiting.

His identity was hidden, even from most of the staff. To them, he was like a ghost, a rumour that moved through the fortress unnoticed. But those who knew better, knew he didn’t watch people for nothing. Every gaze he spared came with a cost.

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