My Job? Weaving Armour For Undead In Apocalypse
Chapter 48: Purple Treasure Orb

Chapter 48: Purple Treasure Orb

The sound of rapid, heavy footsteps echoed through the hallway, cutting through the noise like a blade. Instantly, everyone in the living room fell silent.

"He’s coming," a female student whispered, her voice barely audible, more a breath than speech. The air turned thick, the tension palpable.

Of course, they had heard the argument, a heated exchange spilling from one of the bedrooms inside the house. Fred’s voice had been unmistakably loud, sharp with frustration, almost desperate.

Then, just as expected, Merek strode past the door leading to the living room, not sparing the students inside a single glance. His coat swayed with his steps, the cold steel of his presence unsettling even in silence. He moved like a shadow with weight, controlled and calm.

He headed straight toward the bedroom at the far end, the one that had been converted into a makeshift meeting chamber, the place where the leaders of the group were gathered.

Tevin followed closely behind, his mantle brushing the walls, his footsteps softer but no less focused.

Then came Yuki.

She was impossible to miss. Towering over Tevin, her presence alone was enough to make every student in the living room shrink slightly into their seats. She turned her head, regarding them. The ghostly white orbs of her eyes flared faintly, casting an eerie light in the growing darkness of the hallway. The memory of her sword plunging into the head of the silver-backed gorilla was burned into their minds.

None of the students dared speak. Not even to greet them.

They only watched.

....

Inside the room, tension sparked like flint to stone.

Fred stood at the edge of the table, fists clenched, jaw tight, his voice still heated from moments before. "You all saw I couldn’t fight those gorillas," he snapped. "The same way I stood no chance against the first Stage-1 we met."

He gestured toward the center of the room, where one of the essence cores from the gorillas lay, resting on the table. It radiated such raw power that even being near it made Fred’s blood feel like it was boiling.

"I need that core to get stronger," he continued, voice tightening. "Give it to me, and I’ll forfeit my rights to the essence treasure orbs. I’m not asking for more."

He was trembling slightly, not out of fear, but restraint. His eyes stayed locked on the core, like a starving man eyeing a meal he couldn’t reach. The pressure of the core’s essence made his throat dry, his fingers twitch. Those gorillas... they had to be above level 30.

Felicity sat nearby, leaning against the wall, her leg extended. Her ankle was still swollen and bruised from the earlier fight, making her unable to move. Though silent, her eyes remained alert, watching the discussion unfold.

Professor David stood before the makeshift dining table, which had been dragged into the room to act as a discussion center. His hands were steepled under his chin, eyes calm.

Across from him sat Nero, arms crossed, gauntlet faintly glowing. He looked tired but defiant.

"You can’t have it," Professor David said evenly, not flinching beneath Fred’s sharp gaze. "Merek killed one of the beasts with his own hands, and his knights were the main reason we defeated the second without any casualties. He’ll be the one to decide whether that core is given away or not."

Fred’s eyes darkened. "Who made him the leader of this group?!" he spat, voice trembling now with something beyond anger. It was wounded pride.

That’s when Nero stood abruptly. The chair legs screeched against the floor. He jabbed a finger toward Fred.

"Then where in the world were you," Nero barked, "when my head was almost smashed in?! I’ve got the build of a mage, and still, I was out there fighting!"

His voice cracked slightly, not from weakness but from the emotional weight behind it.

"And you?" Nero continued, stepping closer. "You stand behind me, carrying a bat around like you’re somebody. You strut like a hero until the first real threat shows up and then what? You freeze."

He stopped, chest heaving. He could still remember the gorilla’s fist, the size of a human head descending towards him like a decree of death.

The room fell into silence again.

Fred lowered his eyes, but his fists didn’t loosen. He was cornered, not just by argument, but by truth.

"And then what?" Fred growled, eyes bloodshot. "You want to give something that valuable to that wimp, Tevin? The guy did nothing but get slapped around!"

His voice rang with venom and frustration, the last words echoing in the room like a slap.

Just then, the door creaked open.

Merek stepped in.

Every head turned. The room fell into stunned silence as he calmly entered, his long coat brushing against his boot. His gaze swept across them all and then landed squarely on Fred.

"That’s why I’ll give him the core," Merek said, "of the Stage-1 mutant beast I personally killed."

Everyone was shocked.

Even Tevin, who found his place quietly in a corner, flinched in disbelief. His eyes widened as if the words didn’t register right away.

"But Merek..." Professor David spoke gently, concern threading his voice. "You need it to grow stronger."

"I don’t," Merek replied simply, lifting his hand toward the essence core. "The gains I’d get from this are minimal. I’ll only be wasting it by absorbing it now. But for Tevin? This will make him a strong fighter."

He glanced at the group, then added with a furrowed brow, "There’s an unusual forest right within our field of view, possibly overrun with mutant beasts. And that tree... something about it doesn’t feel right. My instincts are screaming it’s beyond our current abilities. If we’re going to survive what’s coming, everyone needs to be strengthened."

He reached for the core.

But before his fingers touched it, Fred slapped his hand on Merek’s wrist.

"What about me?" Fred hissed. "Didn’t you say we all need to be strengthened? Giving it to me would be smarter than handing it to a weakling hiding behind bone armor."

Merek’s lips curled into a quiet, dry chuckle.

"That ’weakling’ stepped forward to face something that could’ve torn him apart. While you..." Merek’s eyes burned into Fred’s, "stood in the back... thinking of running."

In one fluid motion, Merek pulled his arm free, took the core, and handed it to Tevin.

The moment it touched Tevin’s hands, the young man’s fingers trembled. His lips parted slightly, his breath caught in his chest. He stared at the core, a marble ball pulsing with the potent essence of a Stage-1 Skull Crusher Gorilla.

Then, lowering his head in a heavy bow, he accepted it with both hands. With a deep breath, he swallowed the core.

Fred’s jaw clenched, fury practically vibrating off his skin. His fists tightened but he said nothing while Tevin saw notifications.

[You have swallowed a Level 31 Skull Crusher Gorilla essence core!]

[You have risen to Level 9!]

[You have risen to Level 10!]

[You have...]

[You have...]

...

[You have risen to Level 15!]

A shock ran through Tevin’s body as if his soul had been struck by lightning.

He clenched his fists instinctively as something warm and heavy surged through his veins. His core bloomed with strength, and his limbs felt weightless. The essence coursed through him, expanding his natural limits, his speed, durability, and power shooting to levels far beyond normal human capacity.

Though just at level 15, his raw strength was now comparable to Merek’s. His Job had a passive skill called; Iron Knight Bones, it reinforced his skeletal structure to withstand bone-crushing blows, increased his weight capacity since knights weren’t meant to be light and in so doing, his strength rose.

Tevin raised his head, his voice trembling. "Merek... thank you."

From behind, Yuki turned her cold gaze on him. "Master Weaver," she corrected, her tone leaving no room for correction.

Tevin blinked. "Master Weaver... thank you!!" he shouted, locking his feet together like a soldier before a war hero.

Merek groaned and started coughing, clearly embarrassed. A soft chuckle escaped from Professor David. Nero let out a laugh and shook his head, while Felicity, seated quietly to the side, offered a rare, faint smile.

It was subtle, but in that moment, she looked breathtaking.

Unfortunately, no one noticed.

Professor David cleared his throat and nodded at Nero, bringing the mood back to seriousness. Nero walked over to his bag, unzipped it, and pulled out a shimmering purple orb, its surface like cracked amethyst lit from within. He placed it on the table, surrounding it with five red orbs, their glow a deep, bloody crimson, and one green orb, its shine rich and dignified like polished emerald.

The purple orb sat in the center like royalty, ominous, beautiful, and dangerous.

Merek’s eyes narrowed as he leaned closer, the unnatural violet light reflecting off his golden irises.

"Purple orb," he murmured. "That’s new."

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