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.
