"Wut? That was a boss monster?" Koko's eyes widened, her voice cracking in disbelief.

"Yea," Ahrie muttered, still staring at the corpse. "Didn't you get a notification after we beat it?"

Koko blinked. "Noooope." She plopped down right where she stood, crossed her legs, and pulled out her teapot out of nowhere.

She poured herself a cup and shrugged, blowing the steam.

Rocky climbed up on her knee, squeaked once, and she casually poured another cup—for the squirrel.

Ahrie just squinted. "Where the hell are you even getting that tea?"

"Want some?" she offered sweetly, holding out a cup.

Ahrie glanced at it, saw the faint green shimmer rising from the surface, and shook his head immediately. "No."

A UI popped up in front of Koko, glowing faintly in the air.

"Slurp." She calmly put down her tea and began reading aloud what was written.

Killing creatures, monsters, and boss monsters will grant EXP along with your Link—if you have officially formed one. If not, only those who dealt sufficient damage to the target will gain EXP upon its defeat. Any support roles that solely heal, boost, or assist without dealing damage—or just stand nearby—will not gain EXP. This is to prevent freeloading or EXP leeching from nearby groups.

Koko blinked. "Huh… okay, that's oddly specific."

"Ohhh, that makes a lot of sense!" Ahrie replied, rubbing his chin like a wise monk.

The text scrolled again, continuing.

Additionally, EXP gained from class-specific actions will not be shared. For example, healing for Healers, blocking for Tanks, assassination kills for Assassins, and so on.

Ahrie looked serious for a second—arms crossed, lips pressed, eyes narrowed. He nodded.

"I see… I see…" he muttered deeply.

Koko squinted. "You don't actually get it, do you?"

Ahrie just grinned.

Then something shiny caught Ahrie's eye. A faint glimmer beneath the dirt.

"Huh… a coin?" he muttered, crouching down. He brushed the dust away and picked it up, holding it up to the sunlight.

Koko leaned closer, eyes widening. "Oh my… that's a Skill Coin!"

"Eh? Fr…?" Ahrie blinked, spinning it between his fingers. Why does this look different from the first one I got…? he thought, brows furrowing.

He turned the coin once more before slipping it into his pocket. "Whatever it is… I'll deal with it later."

Koko shrugged, sipping her tea again out of nowhere. "Suit yourself."

Ahrie clapped his hands and looked at the battered group. "Alright, let's move. Min's half-dead, the boss is mush, and I'm starving."

He walked over, lifted Min like a sack of potatoes, and placed him on the horse's back.

"Carry him," Ahrie said, turning to the horse. Then, narrowing his eyes, he added in his most intimidating tone, "Don't even think of refusing."

He raised a hand, making a ridiculous gangster gesture at the poor horse.

The horse blinked twice. Snorted. Then obediently started walking forward.

They started walking.

The road stretched endlessly under the fading sun, the air thick with the smell of soil and distant grasslands. Hours passed, and finally—after countless steps and complaints from Koko—they reached it.

The heart of the Kingdom of Greenveil.

Koko was dragging her feet, clearly exhausted.

Min had finally regained consciousness, wobbling slightly on the horse.

Ahrie, on the other hand… still looked fresh like nothing happened. Calm. Unbothered.

He's built differently.

"Welcome to the capital city… Velshara," Koko said with a tired smile as the massive gates loomed before them.

The sight opened up before them—massive stone walls draped in moss, gates reinforced with heavy steel, and a grand castle standing tall atop a distant hill. Sunlight caught the banners fluttering in the wind—green and silver, the mark of Greenveil.

After passing through a strict identity check, they stepped into Velshara.

The difference was immediate. The streets were alive—crowded with merchants, travelers, and knights. Humans mingled with Germinae, their leafy sprouts swaying as they walked. Market stalls lined the road, the air buzzing with chatter, the scent of baked goods and soil mixing in the breeze.

The architecture was refined—smooth stone walls, vine-wrapped archways, and carved emblems of nature everywhere. Patrol squads moved in formation, armor gleaming under the sun. Knights from various households crossed paths, their crests shining on capes and shields.

"Damn…" Ahrie muttered.

Koko tugged his sleeve, smirking. "Save it for later. Let's get you two to the temple first."

They arrived at the temple.

Inside, the air was cool and heavy with incense, the faint sound of chanting echoing through the grand hall.

"Good day," a priest greeted, bowing slightly. "What brings you here?"

"These two," Koko pointed at Ahrie and Min. "It's their first time in the temple."

Min raised his hand lazily. "I've been here before."

"Eh?" Koko blinked, caught off guard. "Then… only him." She tried to laugh it off, scratching her cheek awkwardly.

"I see," the priest nodded, hiding a smile. "Then please, follow me."

They led Ahrie through a narrow corridor lined with old inscriptions, the faint glow of mana stones guiding the way. At the end was a small room—simple, quiet, but thick with energy.

"This chamber," the priest began, "is designed to determine one's class progression. It reflects your growth and the path your Ent has guided you toward."

"Ents, huh…" Ahrie muttered.

"Ah, so you've heard of them?" the priest asked, visibly pleased.

"Yeah. Kinda."

"Excellent," the priest smiled, launching into a long explanation about how Ents watch over souls, nurture potential, and maintain spiritual balance.

Ahrie's eyes slowly dulled.

He crossed his arms, sighing.

"…Just get it done already."

Ehem… just stand there for a moment while the sacred stone determines your class progression.

Ahrie planted himself in the center of the glowing stone, arms crossed, expression unimpressed.

A few moments passed. A soft pop echoed, and the stone flashed.

Class Progression: Healer (Attacker)

The priest froze, blinking rapidly. "…Huh?"

It wasn't supposed to show that… should've been support… not an attacker.

"Let's try again," the priest muttered, waving his hands over the stone. A faint hum filled the room as the light surged once more.

The result didn't change. Healer (Attacker).

"…Huh," the priest mumbled, scratching his head. The stone's magic flickered, as if shrugging.

After a beat, he let out a sigh. "Okay… it seems the sacred stone is… malfunctioning. Or perhaps…" He narrowed his eyes at Ahrie.

"If you want your class progression to change, you can always come here and use a certain coin you'll get inside a dungeon."

"Ok, noted," Ahrie muttered.

"Now… put your hand on that glowing orb."

Ahrie placed his hand on it. A shrill screech echoed through the room, making the walls vibrate.

A flash of light burst outward. It's done.

"Congratulations on becoming a Healer class," the priest announced, still catching his breath. "Just remember, Healer class comes with its own license. It's required for higher-paying quests or jobs and is used to rank healers properly."

Ahrie casually raised his hand. A light projected from his ring, revealing his healing license.

"Eh?" the priest stammered, eyes widening. "How… how did you already have a license before even coming here?"

Ahrie shrugged, smirking, and left the room without a word.

The priest froze mid-step, staring at the door as if it had personally insulted him. He muttered to himself, pacing back and forth, trying to process the breach of protocol, the audacity, the sheer chaos of it all.

"Licenses first… before class determination… what kind of nonsense is—" he paused, ran his hands through his hair, and groaned.

Ahrie returned to Min and Koko.

He reached into his pocket, fingers curling around something.

Pulling it out, he held up the skill coin he'd picked up from the boss fight, letting the light glint off its surface.

"Oii, Min…" he said, holding it out.

Min looked at the coin, his eyes softening. Without a word, he shoved it back into Ahrie's hands.

"It's yours," Min muttered, still grim about what had happened with his shield.

Ahrie sighed, tucking the coin away, then turned to Koko. "Where's the skill gacha?"

Koko pointed ahead, and Ahrie strode over, anticipation written all over his face.

He stood in front of the gacha machine, hesitating for a moment. He thought of Min's skill from the boss fight—how it had completely turned the tide—and a pang of jealousy hit him.

"Come on… come on… give me an attack skill too!" he shouted, slamming the coin into the slot.

The gacha shuddered violently, lights flickering around it.

The coin vanished into the mechanism with a loud clink, and the machine began to hum and whirl, sparks of energy dancing along its edges.

A dim, shadowed room. Four strange beings hunched over a crooked, rickety table.

Clink… the coin landed with a sharp ring against the wood.

"Ohh, we have a customer," the first said, voice low and oily.

The second yawned, clearly bored—until his eyes caught ahrie's face.

"OWW OWWW! IT'S THAT GUY! KEKEKEK! Let me make something special for him again…" he cackled, practically bouncing in his seat.

The third just stared at the second, unimpressed, one eyebrow raised.

The fourth sighed, rubbing her temples. "There he goes again…"

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