Apocalyse: Marked by Chaos
Chapter 125 - 124 The Journey Begins

Chapter 125: Chapter 124 The Journey Begins

Just as Olivia was about to say something else to Lucian, the door creaked open.

Abigail walked in, carrying a small bag over her shoulder, her face a mixture of impatience and concern. Her sharp eyes flicked between the two of them.

"Well, sorry to interrupt your little moment," she said dryly, dropping her bag on the table. "But someone needs serious healing before she drops dead."

Olivia flushed slightly but didn’t argue.

Abigail walked over and examined her injuries, her hands gentle but quick. She clicked her tongue disapprovingly. "You should have come earlier. Your wounds are worse than I thought."

Lucian stood up, stepping aside to give Abigail more room.

Without wasting time, Abigail pulled out a small stone-shaped device, then glanced at Olivia. "Where’s the core you won?"

Olivia reached into her pocket and weakly pulled it out. It still pulsed warmly against her palm, like it was still breathing.

Abigail took it and nodded. "Good. I’ll help you absorb it. It should heal you completely... or close enough."

Olivia winced slightly as Abigail placed the core against her chest. She felt the heat seep into her body almost immediately.

This was different from how she normally consumed cores, she usually swallowed it. So she had been doing it wrongly all this while... but where did she see that it was meant to be swallowed?

"Relax," Abigail instructed. "Let it flow naturally."

Olivia closed her eyes. She felt the energy pushing into her veins, burning and soothing at the same time. It was like fire licked every wound inside her, sewing her muscles back together, knitting her skin whole.

[SYSTEM NOTICE: Level Up!]

[Current Level: 9]

Olivia blinked her eyes open when she heard the system voice in her mind.

Abigail frowned. "Only level nine?"

She quickly placed her fingers against Olivia’s wrist, checking something Olivia didn’t quite understand. Her brows knitted even tighter.

"What is it?" Olivia asked nervously.

Abigail shook her head slightly, still looking puzzled. "Your core is... different. It’s vast. Too vast. No wonder a high-level monster core barely moved your growth."

"What does that mean?"

"It means," Abigail said, pulling her hand away, "that your core is like a massive lake, and this core was just a single drop of water thrown into it. It’s not enough to cause much of a ripple."

Olivia stared at her in shock. That explained so much. That was why, no matter how many battles she fought, she never leveled up like the others. Her foundation was too big. She needed far more energy than normal to grow.

"No wonder..." she muttered, her heart sinking.

It felt unfair. She fought so hard, yet her rewards were so little compared to the others.

Abigail stood up, dusting off her hands. "The good news is you’re fully healed now. But don’t expect to grow quickly unless you start hunting higher-level monsters or find alternative methods to enhance your growth."

Olivia nodded slowly, feeling a strange mixture of relief and frustration.

"Thanks... Abigail," she said quietly.

Abigail glanced at her, softened slightly, then grabbed her bag. "Don’t do anything stupid until your body adjusts."

With that, she turned and left, closing the door softly behind her.

For a long moment, Olivia sat there, staring at her healed hands. They looked normal — but she knew better now. She was different. She had been different from the beginning.

Maybe that was why the world always seemed so much harsher on her.

But now... she understood a little better.

And she wasn’t going to give up.

....

The next morning, Olivia walked toward the training ground where Stefan had told her to meet him.

Her body still ached slightly from yesterday’s ordeal, but her steps were steady. She had made her decision.

When she arrived, Stefan was already there, standing like a dark pillar against the gray sky.

He gave her a short nod. "I see you made up your mind."

Olivia stopped a few feet away from him. "I’ll be your student," she said firmly.

Stefan’s lips curved into the smallest hint of a smile — the first genuine expression she had ever seen on his face.

"Good. You’ll need it."

Before Olivia could say anything else, she noticed other figures gathering behind Stefan.

Her eyes widened.

Tyler was there, his tall figure standing slightly apart from the others, his sharp eyes scanning everything lazily.

Freya leaned against a tree with a bored look on her face, twirling a dagger between her fingers.

Liam stood next to Ellie, who gave Olivia a small wave and a worried smile.

Henrik looked grumpy as always, arms crossed over his chest.

Bella adjusted her gloves, shooting Olivia a dagger glance.

And then... Klaus.

Olivia’s heart sank a little when she saw him, his icy blue eyes piercing through her bones.

She turned back to Stefan with a frown. "I thought... it was just me... and Lucian."

Stefan smirked slightly. "You’re not the only one who needs saving."

Lucian appeared next to her, his presence steady and comforting.

"You didn’t think I’d let you do this alone, did you?" he whispered, nudging her shoulder lightly.

Olivia rolled her eyes but a small smile tugged at her lips. Her first smile since Luke’s death. But her hand clenched tightly beside, she never expected Freya to be here... that b**ch. her nails dug into her palm.

Stefan clapped his hands once, gathering everyone’s attention.

"Listen up," he said, his voice carrying over the training field easily. "You are the chosen ones. The ones with potential. The ones who, if properly trained, can survive what’s coming."

The group fell silent, sensing the seriousness in his tone.

"What’s coming?" Liam asked, narrowing his eyes.

Stefan’s smile was grim. "War. Betrayal. Blood. Things you cannot even imagine yet. If you think you’ve seen hell already... you’re wrong."

The air turned heavy, thick with tension. Olivia swallowed hard. She wasn’t ready for another war. She wasn’t ready for another loss.

But she was tired of running, tired of being weak, tired of being afraid.

This time, she would fight. This time, she would survive.

Stefan’s eyes landed on her, almost as if reading her thoughts.

"You all have the potential to rise above all," he said. "But potential means nothing without the will to wield it." Olivia clenched her fists.

’I will,’ she promised herself. ’I’ll become strong enough to never lose anyone again.’

And so, the real journey, the journey of strength, pain, and destiny was about to begin.