Chapter 18: Armor
"Miss Muller!"
Violet was greeted by Paul Walton the moment she stepped out of the prison building.
The middle-aged man was accompanied by another middle-aged man with a bald head, dressed in a neat business suit and carrying a rather large briefcase.
"Miss, allow me to introduce John Martin, the Marketing Director of Star Fashion Company. He hopes to discuss a business proposal with you," Paul said.
"A clothing company?" Violet raised an eyebrow as Enzo found himself puzzled.
Why would a clothing company come looking for her?
"Ahem... Miss Muller, our company is currently developing a special type of clothing, and we’re looking for a talented beginner to serve as our brand ambassador," the bald middle-aged man explained.
"What kind of special clothing?" Violet asked, both confused and curious.
"Let’s talk at my office," Paul replied.
"Alright."
Violet followed them.
They headed toward a seven-story building, one of the tallest structures within the Sanctuary.
It was likely the headquarters for the Sanctuary’s management.
As Enzo looked around, he noticed several supervisors leaving the building.
He also spotted Emma collecting used dishes.
"Miss Garcia..." John Martin exclaimed in surprise upon seeing her.
Emma frowned.
She glanced at Violet as well but showed no interest.
After stacking several plates in her hands, she turned and walked away.
Her mood seemed to sour after being recognized by an acquaintance.
"I thought it was only a rumor, but it turns out it’s true," John Martin remarked.
"Are you really that surprised? She’s been working here ever since her father disowned her," Paul replied.
"Was it you who arranged for her to work here?" John asked.
"Yes. She came to my house and asked me to help her find a job here, so I agreed. I told her she wouldn’t be able to choose what kind of work she’d do. But honestly, I’ve always wondered why she chose this place. Even after being disowned, she should still have enough savings to live comfortably for generations without ever working. Instead of enjoying life, she deliberately chose a difficult one. It simply doesn’t make sense."
Paul looked at John curiously after bringing up the subject.
However, John shook his head.
"I don’t know anything about her reasons. By the way, isn’t Charles Muller’s son also working here?"
"That’s right. His uncle asked me to assign him here. You know, people have been joking about pairing him with Emma because of how similar their situations are."
"Ridiculous... I would never agree to that. I heard Charles Muller’s son is lazy. He also performed poorly in school. Miss Garcia is different. She graduated at the top of her class in high school. She was simply unlucky enough to fail her Awakening."
’You bald bastard,’ Enzo cursed inwardly.
He couldn’t believe he was being insulted by a complete stranger.
They climbed the stairs without stopping on the second floor, continuing all the way to the fourth before entering an office.
The room was fully furnished, with a desk and a computer on top of it.
"Please, have a seat," Paul invited John and Violet to sit on the guest sofa.
The two sat facing each other while Paul prepared two cups of coffee.
"Thank you," John said.
Violet remained silent.
She didn’t even touch the coffee, merely staring at John.
"Now then, Miss Violet... take a look at this."
John placed his briefcase on the table and opened it.
Inside was a piece of clothing.
He took it out to display it more clearly.
It was a one-piece outfit consisting of a coat seamlessly connected to a shirt and trousers.
The material appeared highly elastic, designed so the wearer could step into it through the shirt collar before pulling it over the body.
"This is a suit worth three hundred thousand dollars," John said proudly.
"What’s so special about it?" Violet asked without losing her cold expression.
"This is actually a B-Class Armor in the form of clothing. When worn, it increases your Vitality and Agility Attributes by 20 percent. Our company has achieved a major technological breakthrough," John explained.
"You can actually make something like this?" Violet couldn’t hide her surprise.
Enzo was equally astonished.
For many years, Earth’s researchers had studied monster armor and succeeded in producing artificial versions using materials harvested from monster bodies.
However, they could only manufacture armor up to A-Class.
S-Class Armor remained impossible to replicate.
Armor was, after all, one of the most important types of External Power.
Its primary purpose was to enhance defense, while higher-grade armor could also boost Attributes.
For example, A-Class Armor could increase up to three Attributes, even possessed additional special abilities.
Certain Talents, such as Bella’s Knight Master, granted their users an innate suit of armor that could be reconstructed at will using Mana Energy.
Although wearing conventional armor usually didn’t interfere with movement, clothing was still far more flexible and comfortable.
"Are you certain this really offers the same protection as armor?" Violet asked skeptically.
Comments