Back at PCA Central Ward, Marcus sat in the debriefing chamber, body wrapped in healing runes. The air still crackled faintly from the echoes of his True Eidolon Release. Tyrese leaned against the wall, arms folded. Geoffrey reviewed a glowing slate of mission logs.
"You did good out there," Geoffrey said without looking up. "Better than expected."
"Good?" Tyrese scoffed. "The kid erased a Cursed Eidolon. That's insane. At his level? He's definitely ready."
Geoffrey finally looked at Marcus. "We've reviewed your combat footage. The data speaks for itself."
He slid a PCA badge across the table. The blue border that marked a Trainee-Class Exorcist shimmered… and faded.
> PROMOTION GRANTED: Auxiliary-Class Exorcist.
Marcus blinked. "Wait, what? I'm getting promoted?"
"You've displayed mastery of your Eidolon Relic," Geoffrey said. "You've survived a Class-C Rift and helped suppress a Cursed Entity. As of now, you're no longer a trainee."
Tyrese clapped him on the back. "Welcome to the grind, kid."
Then Geoffrey added with a faint smirk: "Your salary also kicks in. $56,000 annually, direct PCA stipend. Benefits, housing coverage, and emergency medical expenses. All standard."
Marcus froze. "Wait. You get paid for this?!"
Tyrese burst out laughing. "What, you thought we risked our lives for free?"
"But I'm… 19!"
"You're a licensed government-registered Eidolon wielder now. That changes things."
Geoffrey tapped his slate again. "The PCA pays all active field operatives—Exorcists, Hunters, Technicians, and Archivists alike. Trainees are unpaid because they're under provisional assessment. Now that you're officially active-duty, you're on the payroll."
> [PCA Account Initialized: Marcus Reynards — $56,000 Base Salary + Mission Bonuses]
Marcus could barely process it. One moment, he was scraping by at an orphanage. The next, he was a paid member of a government-backed exorcist force.
Tyrese threw him a PCA-branded card. "Welcome to capitalism, Ghostbuster Edition."