GameDev Reincarnated into His Own Creation

Chapter 4.1: Profiling

Mora agreed, a slight flush coloring her cheeks. "Same here. I've joined the Guild about two years back."

"Bah! False modesty!" Honka thrust his card toward Vel with enthusiasm. "Here, lad! Have a good look at a real adventurer's card! See those golden borders? That means I'm among the elite!"

Clara remained by the fire, her attention seemingly focused on her blade maintenance. She made no move to show her card, her expression unchanged as the others shared theirs.

Bestiel's card felt unexpectedly heavy in Vel's hand, its dark grey surface smooth as polished stone. He looked down at the elegant, etched script and...

Oh no.

All the symbols were completely meaningless to him. Of course they were. How could he have been so stupid? He'd spent the entire evening thinking he was being so clever, working toward this moment where he'd examine their cards. And he'd completely forgotten the most basic fact: he couldn't read.

"What... what do these symbols mean?" Vel asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"That's my name at the top," Bestiel explained patiently. "Below that shows my rank - Silver - and my class as a Cleric. I've been active for about three years now."

He returned Bestiel's card and took Honka's. The material was identical, but this card bore a distinctive golden border that caught the flickering light.

"This one's different," Vel observed, running his finger along the golden edge. "Much shinier."

"That's because I'm Gold rank!" Honka boomed proudly. "See how it gleams? That's the mark of a true adventurer!"

Mora's card resembled Bestiel's with its silver trim. She explained she was a Silver-rank Hunter with two years of experience.

He returned Mora's card, glancing again at Clara. She remained turned away, still fiddling with her belt. It was clear she wasn't going to show him her card willingly.

Vel looked at the card again, studying the blank rectangular section. A memory surfaced - sitting down with a concept artist, helping design these very cards. There should be something here. Achievements, battle records, a whole history of each adventurer's accomplishments.

Vel looked up, a puzzled expression on his face. "This part... it doesn't show anything," he said, pointing to the blank rectangle on Mora's card. "It feels... empty."

"That's because it displays personal information," Bestiel offered a gentle smile. "Things like significant accomplishments, important quests... details about an adventurer's history. It doesn't always show; you need the owner of the card to give permission for it to be visible."

"As Silver ranks, we don't really have anything to show yet. Just ordinary achievements, nothing worth recording on the card."

Honka let out a hearty laugh, clapping Bestiel on the back.

"Speak for yourself, Priest! I've got plenty of stories to tell!" He puffed out his chest and held his card out again. "Here, young'un, take another look! Maybe this time you'll see something interesting!"

Honka pressed his thumb to the card's back. A soft yellow glow spread across it, magical in nature. The surface brightened, text sharpening like a lit screen. When he tapped the blank rectangle, it expanded to reveal rows of detailed text.