A strange warmth surged through Shin's body, a wave of energy flowing from head to toe. The fatigue he'd felt from sprinting across Shiganshina just moments ago completely vanished. In its place was something sharper, clearer—his muscles tightened, his vision sharpened, and his posture straightened involuntarily.
He blinked, stunned. Was this the system's doing?
Then the words surfaced again in his mind, like a mantra whispered into his consciousness:
"No pain, no gain. Every drop of sweat will be rewarded."
"…So it's real," Shin murmured, a slow grin forming on his face. "Not just some chicken soup quote after all."
He let out a deep breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
"The cheat might have a terrible opening act, but at least it works. That's all that matters." His voice was calm now, steadier than before.
Suddenly, a deep, resonant series of bell tolls echoed through the district. Boom... Boom... Boom...
The atmosphere around the city gate shifted immediately. People looked up, conversations quieted, and all eyes turned toward the massive structure at the edge of the district. The once-sealed gate began to rise with a heavy, mechanical groan.
Eren, standing next to him, pointed excitedly. "Brother Shin, look! The Survey Corps is back!"
Shin turned to the boy, studying the fierce, hopeful spark in his eyes. Eren's face was flushed, his expression full of admiration and yearning. Even this early, even before tragedy shaped him into the hardened man he'd one day become, that fire in his soul was already burning bright.
"Eren…" Shin muttered under his breath. "You really want to see what's outside those walls, don't you?"
"Of course I do!" Eren answered immediately, his gaze never leaving the rising gate. "One day, I'm going to join the Survey Corps and see the outside world with my own eyes!"
The words were spoken without hesitation. Without fear.
Shin smirked and reached over to ruffle Eren's hair. "You? Join the Survey Corps? You're not even old enough to enter the Training Corps yet. Minimum age is thirteen, squirt."
Eren puffed up like a cornered cat, scowling. "Don't look down on me! I might not be old enough now, but when I turn thirteen, I swear I'll make it. I'll join the Survey Corps and prove myself!"
Around them, a few townsfolk gave the boy strange looks. Some wore expressions of pity, others scoffed. Disdain, concern, apathy—it was all there, painted on the faces of those who had already given up on dreams.
But Shin ignored them. He looked at Eren and saw something far more important than recklessness. He saw purpose.
"Then go for it," Shin said seriously. "You've got guts, and I believe in you."
Eren turned to him, surprised. His eyes shimmered with emotion. "Brother Shin…"
Before he could say more, a murmur ran through the gathered crowd.
The Survey Corps had returned.
A unit of horse-mounted soldiers rode through the open gate, their uniforms tattered and stained, faces grim, many wrapped in bloody bandages. Some had empty saddles behind them—silent testaments to comrades who hadn't returned.
The stench of blood and sweat drifted on the wind.
The crowd began to whisper. Some people wept quietly, realizing their loved ones were gone. Others stared in uncomfortable silence.
But Eren's eyes sparkled with admiration.
Shin, on the other hand, felt a chill pass through him. The smell of blood was far more pungent in real life than anything he'd experienced through a screen. It hit him harder than he expected.
He looked at the worn-down soldiers, the death on their faces, the hollowness in their eyes, and thought, "So this is what it really looks like… the cost of walking beyond the walls."
"They're heroes," Eren whispered beside him.
Shin gave a small nod. "Yeah. Heroes who pay with their lives."
His eyes narrowed as a familiar figure on horseback approached—the man looked older than he remembered, a little more worn down, but his posture was proud, and his expression, though tired, was still sharp.
"Shin, here again?" came a rough but kind voice.
Shin turned toward the speaker and instinctively recognized him.
"Uncle Keith…"
Standing before him was Keith Shadis, the current Commander of the Survey Corps. His grizzled face cracked into a rare smile as he dismounted, brushing dust from his coat.
"'Uncle,' huh? Damn… do I look that old?" Keith muttered, rubbing the short bristles of hair on his scalp, his tone half-joking.
The soldiers nearby chuckled. It was rare to see their commander show this side of himself. Even just for a moment, the grim aura around them lightened.
Shin—who had retained some memories of this man from his new body—stood upright and steady.
"I'm thirteen now, Uncle Keith," he said clearly. "Next year, I'll be eligible to join the Training Corps. After that… I want to join the Survey Corps."
Keith blinked.
His smile faded.
He looked at Shin carefully, eyes searching the boy's face for something. After a moment of silence, he said quietly, "You've got your father's eyes…"
Then he sighed.
"Wanting to join and being qualified are two different things," Keith said. "The Survey Corps doesn't need numbers. We need strength. Elite strength."
He stepped forward, ruffled Shin's hair with a calloused hand, and gave a faint nod before returning to his horse.
Shin watched him go, the weight of those words pressing on his shoulders. Sweat ran down his back, but this time it had nothing to do with heat.
His heart beat faster, filled with adrenaline and a trace of fear.
That was the first time someone had looked at him like that—seriously. Like he was making a choice that mattered.
And he was.
The world behind these walls was doomed. He knew the truth. The Titans would come. The walls would fall. Peace would shatter. Staying within the walls and hoping for safety wasn't just naïve—it was a death sentence.
He clenched his fists.
If he wanted to live, truly live, he had to fight. And not just fight—he had to rise above. Become stronger than anyone else. Earn power, build connections, forge influence.
Only then would he have a chance to survive in this cruel world.
Staring at the gate where the Survey Corps had passed, Shin made his decision.
Join the Training Corps. Enter the Survey Corps. Rise, survive, and conquer.
It was a path drenched in blood—but it was also the one that led to strength.
And now, he had something no one else did—a system that rewarded effort.
The more he trained, the stronger he became.
As long as he worked harder than everyone else, there was no limit to how far he could go.
"Levi, huh?" he muttered to himself. "If he can become a living weapon with nothing but training… then I'll go even further."
He pictured himself cutting down Titans with ease, commanding others, standing among leaders in the royal court—not because of noble birth, but because he earned it, every drop of blood, sweat, and pain repaid with power.
All of that began with a simple choice.
And the system had made one thing clear:
Every drop of sweat would be rewarded.
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A/N: Please Leave A Comment Or Drop A Powerstone It'll mean alot to me...