The alley was dark and damp.
A foul, stagnant stench hung in the air.
A skinny rat trembled as it crawled up the side of a rotting wooden shack. Its cracked nose twitched, sniffing desperately. Somewhere nearby, the faint scent of food lingered.
The dim green glow in the rodent's shrunken eyes flickered, and it scurried toward the source of the smell, the light in its gaze burning brighter with hunger.
Snap!
"Boss, I killed a rat."
"Levi, how many times have I told you? Stay clean. Get rid of it."
...
Inside a cramped, dark room, Adrian Leonhart sat with a worn book in his hands. Levi's voice echoed in his ears, pulling him from his thoughts.
Adrian's eyes drifted toward the faint rays of light trickling through the cracks near the window. He felt a pang of heaviness in his chest.
It had been eight years since he crossed into this world. Eight years since he was reborn—not as a man, but as an infant inside the womb of a poor woman in the underground city beneath the capital.
His mother had died of illness when he was seven. And so, he kept his true name—Adrian Leonhart—alive by whispering it to himself in the dark.
As he grew and learned more, he finally realized where fate had cast him.
The world of Attack on Titan.
The Underground City of the royal capital.
The same place where, in the extra chapters, the young soldier Levi grew up among crime, poverty, and despair.
The realization had crushed Adrian's heart at first. This was a cannibalistic world. Titans devoured humans, and humans devoured one another in turn.
For eight years, Adrian had never once seen the sun. His only glimpse of the outside world was the faint glow of daylight filtering through the sewage grates high above.
Levi—yes, that Levi—was just a child here, still years away from becoming humanity's strongest soldier. The two had first met when they fought over a piece of bread. But over time, Levi had grown attached, impressed by Adrian's cleverness. Now, the boy treated him almost like a big brother.
"Got it, boss."
"The food's ready. I'll bring it out."
Levi's mischievous voice came from the kitchen. The rat by the window had already been dealt with.
Seven-year-old Levi swallowed hard as the smell of food wafted up from the clay pot. His small hand hovered over the fork, then hesitated.
This Levi was not yet the cold, rational fighter who would one day stand above all humanity. For now, he was just a boy—fragile, hungry, and uncertain.
When the food was ready, Adrian and Levi sat down at the low table, each with a plate. Adrian noticed Levi's portion was smaller than his own, and he smiled faintly.
"Boss," Levi muttered between bites, "there's not much left. Just enough for today."
"It's fine. I'll figure something out soon."
"Boss… if I weren't dragging you down, maybe…"
Levi's voice broke. Tears welled in his eyes and streamed down his young face. If Adrian hadn't taken him in, he would have starved long ago. Food was more precious than gold in the underground. And yet Adrian had shared it with him, even when it meant going hungry himself.
Adrian's feelings twisted as he watched the boy cry.
The truth was, he wasn't a good person. After realizing he had crossed into Attack on Titan, he had abandoned any thought of heroism. He had only one goal—to survive.
That was why he had taken Levi in. Not out of kindness, but because he knew this child would one day grow into Levi Ackerman—the strongest human alive.
A single man with the combat strength of an entire brigade.
Keeping Levi close was an investment in his own future safety.
And yet… after a year of living together, Adrian couldn't help but soften. Levi was no longer just a tool for survival—he was family. Someone worth protecting.
Adrian quietly slid a third of his food onto Levi's plate. His eyes hardened as he spoke, voice steady.
"Don't worry. I've thought of a way to get more food."
"We won't go hungry again. I'm not that hungry today, so you can have the rest."
Levi's tear-stained face tilted upward, eyes full of doubt.
"Boss… is that true? Did you really think of something?"
"Of course." Adrian gave him a firm nod. "I'm your boss, aren't I? I always have a way."
But beneath his confident smile, bitterness lingered. Adrian was only eight years old himself. What could he really do? His words were just as much for his own comfort as they were for Levi's.
He forced himself to eat quickly, swallowing the bland food in a few bites.
And then—
Ding!
A clear electronic chime echoed in his mind.
"Congratulations, host. Progress has reached 100%. One point obtained."
Adrian froze, fork in hand.
For a moment, he wondered if hunger had driven him to hallucinate.
But as an avid reader of countless novels in his past life, he knew the truth instantly.
A system.
His golden finger had finally awakened.