The next morning felt like a complete reset.
Hajin woke up feeling perfectly refreshed, his bruised ribs fully healed thanks to a solid night of sleep and whatever residual healing magic Juna's evolution had pumped through their bond. They grabbed a heavy breakfast at the inn before heading out into the bustling streets, making their way toward the guild to report the gate clear.
"So," Juna said, walking beside him while her tail swayed slowly, "what exactly is a ranker? You talk about it a lot but I don't actually know what it means."
He looked at her, realizing he had never actually bothered to explain the guild system to her.
"Ahhh, my bad," he said, looking up before continuing, "you see, normal adventurers are basically just mercenaries," he explained, stepping around a merchant pulling a cart of apples.
"They take odd jobs, hunt weak monsters outside the walls, and scrape by. But rankers are the elite, once you pass the ranker exam, you get actual perks."
