Chapter 80 The Favorability Dilemma

Ryo reviewed his current standing with the system. He had reached level 8, and with less than 300 experience points to gather, he was close to level 10. That meant killing three giants would likely push him to the next stage. Reaching the Private rank would unlock the combat experience stats and finally allow him to uncover Captain Levi's mysterious data.

Despite the missing stat, Ryo couldn't help but feel competitive. After all, he had broken Levi's record by 12 seconds—a feat that bolstered his confidence. However, he also acknowledged Levi's unparalleled combat experience, which remained an intimidating hurdle.

"The younger generation pushes the older forward," Ryo thought with a grin. Though Levi was unmatched now, time would eventually tilt the scales in Ryo's favor.

His moment of self-congratulation was interrupted by Levi's sharp voice.

"What are you grinning about like an idiot? Focus when you're riding! Don't start pulling an Oruo and biting your tongue every time you move!" Levi's reprimand cut through the air, pulling Ryo out of his daydreams.

Caught off guard, Ryo glanced at Oruo, who wore an embarrassed expression, but quickly schooled his face into indifference.

"This guy still hasn't mastered keeping a poker face," Ryo thought smugly. "Meanwhile, look at me—I can take Levi's scolding like it's nothing."

To distract himself, Ryo turned back to the system, curious about Levi's opinion of him.

When he saw the captain's favorability score, his eyes widened in surprise—it was 75. A green upward arrow next to the score indicated that it was still increasing.

"Seventy-five? That high?" Ryo muttered under his breath. "What did I do to earn that?"

The system provided a note:

*"A young, capable, and relatively reckless recruit with great potential. In him, it seems that someone's past is reflected…"*

Ryo raised an eyebrow. "So the captain thinks I remind him of his younger self? Interesting…"

Curiosity sparked, Ryo checked the favorability scores of his squadmates. The results were less impressive:

- Eld: 55

- Günther: 58

- Oruo: 51

- Petra: 52

Petra's low score caught him off guard.

"She seems like someone who'd be easygoing," Ryo thought. "Why so low?"

He read the attached note:

*"A new soldier who has strength but is rather arrogant. He seems to want to surpass the captain and lacks respect for him."*

"What?! That's unfair!" Ryo nearly blurted out loud. "Sister Pe—err, Petra, you've got it all wrong! I respect Levi plenty!"

But how could he explain himself? If he tried to clear the misunderstanding, Petra would likely question how he even knew what she thought, making the situation worse.

Swallowing his frustration, Ryo moved on to check Mikasa's favorability. Her score had risen slightly to 70, likely due to their growing camaraderie during their shared time in the Survey Corps. Meanwhile, Levi's favorability remained at 50, with a mysterious question mark attached to the status.

"This system…" Ryo grumbled. "So, I can't view Levi's combat stats because he's stronger, and now I can't see his opinion of me because he's smarter? What a rip-off!"

To soothe his irritation, Ryo shifted his attention to the system's rewards.

"Hey, system, will I get anything after upgrading to Private?" he asked.

The response came quickly:

*"After the host is upgraded to Private, a novice gift pack will be unlocked. It will include the remaining novice equipment."*

"Novice equipment? Seriously?" Ryo groaned. "I've already outgrown that stage. What kind of scam is this?"

*"Since the host is not currently facing strong enemies, the reward level remains modest. However, the gift pack includes a sword that suits the host's needs."*

Ryo perked up at the mention of a sword.

"A sword?" he repeated, his irritation giving way to curiosity.

If it was something like the legendary weapons from stories—capable of cutting through anything—then it would be worth it. The hardened skin of intelligent Titans posed a significant challenge, and standard blades weren't enough to deal with them effectively.

Ryo recalled the female Titan's skin-hardening ability, which had proven nearly insurmountable during her capture attempt. The Survey Corps had paid a heavy price for that battle.

"Fine," Ryo muttered. "If this sword is as good as you say, I'll consider forgiving you."

With renewed determination, he spurred his horse forward. The mission ahead promised danger, but Ryo was ready to face whatever challenges awaited beyond the wall.