GameDev Reincarnated into His Own Creation

Chapter 4.1: Profiling

Vel stared at the glowing symbols, his frustration mounting. Here was exactly the kind of detailed information he'd hoped to find - but every marking was incomprehensible.

"What does it say?" Vel asked, unable to hide his disappointment.

"My achievements!" Honka announced proudly. "See, I took down a Howling Ape all by myself - nasty beast, that one! And I've settled disputes between those stubborn clan folk up north. Even mastered some advanced fighting techniques the monastery taught me. Oh, and helped defend against those damned trolls last spring!"

That's... actually pretty impressive, Giri thought despite Honka's bravado. Taking down a Howling Ape solo was no small feat - those creatures were designed to challenge groups of mid-level adventurers. Behind all the showing off, the man had genuine skill.

Vel looked at Bestiel and Mora. "Can you do that too?" he asked, pointing at Honka's glowing card. "Make yours show what you did?"

Bestiel and Mora reluctantly activated their own cards, revealing modest Silver-rank accomplishments. Bestiel had escorted a merchant caravan and retrieved a lost artifact, while Mora had tracked a missing person and scouted a cave. Both seemed embarrassed by their limited achievements compared to Honka's impressive record.

"Though," Mora added, a hopeful glint in her eyes, "if we're successful with this portal... well, the chances of promotion are very high."

Bestiel echoed her sentiment. "This is the kind of mission that gets noticed by the Guild," he explained. "Closing an active portal, especially one that's been open for several days... that would definitely boost our standing."

Honka scoffed. "Even if you succeed, you'll only reach lower Gold," he warned. "Sometimes that's more trouble than it's worth. Without matching combat skills, you risk getting deadly assignments."

Mora's hope dimmed as she shared a worried look with Bestiel. Bestiel affirmed with a slight gesture. "He's right," he said softly. "We need to be ready for each rank's challenges. Quick promotions can be dangerous."

Vel looked at Clara, who'd been quietly observing. She avoided his gaze when their eyes met, her face impassive. The others turned to her too, their expressions mixing curiosity with respect, eager to hear of her achievements.

Clara sensed the expectant attention and shook her head before anyone could ask. "My achievements are... not relevant now," she said quietly, staring at the fire. "We're here for the portal. That's our priority."

She rose and dusted her armor. "Time to prepare and rest," she said evenly, then nodded to Vel. "Thanks for the meal. Go home to your family. The village is under curfew."

Honka muttered something, but stayed quiet. Bestiel and Mora shared resigned looks as they gathered their things behind Clara. Their deference to her leadership was obvious, regardless of their personalities. The Guild had chosen her to lead, and that was that.

Vel might have pressed for more information, but he could read the finality in Clara's tone. Her evasion wasn't modesty - she was deliberately avoiding her past. Whatever had happened during her Platinum days had left her guarded and withdrawn.

Nothing more could be done tonight. Based on what he'd learned, Clara was undoubtedly the strongest - her Platinum rank proved that, even if she wouldn't share the specific achievements that earned it. Among the others, Honka had demonstrated impressive capability, probably around level 40 given his solo Howling Ape kill. The Silver ranks were competent but less experienced, likely in their thirties.