After grabbing his food and settling into a quiet corner of the dining hall, Ryo Akira couldn't wait to check out the reward from his recent training mission.
The familiar system prompt echoed in his mind:
**"Ding! Task completed. Random training mission successfully finished. Reward: 10 experience points and a novice gift package!"**
A warm, golden light enveloped him briefly, leaving him with a strange sense of refreshment. He quickly opened his status panel to find a pleasant surprise—he had leveled up.
The stats on his system interface updated, showing significant improvements. It felt incredible to grow stronger, but his excitement was focused on the real prize: the novice gift package.
Taking a cautious glance around to ensure no one was watching, Ryo opened the package. A list of items immediately appeared:
- **Novice Shoes**
- **Novice Wristbands**
- **Novice Vest**
- **Novice Cloak**
Ryo's excitement dimmed slightly. "Clothes? That's it? Where's the weapon? How am I supposed to fight giants with just a fancy outfit?"
Still, he equipped the items one by one. The system interface assured him these enhancements improved his overall stats. Better agility, defense, and stamina weren't flashy upgrades, but they were still practical.
Thankfully, the equipment didn't physically alter his appearance, so he could blend in with the other trainees. Being subtle was key. If everyone noticed him strutting around in shiny, obviously superior gear, it would raise too many questions.
Satisfied for now, Ryo glanced at his updated attributes:
- Strength:65
- Stamina: 74
- Constitution:70
- Agility:72
- Spirit:66
Compared to the average trainee, whose stats hovered around 40, Ryo was already ahead of the curve. He couldn't compete with monsters like Mikasa or Levi just yet, but he had potential—and he intended to use it.
"Alright," he muttered to himself, "just need to complete a couple more tasks, rack up some experience, and I'll be on par with the elites in no time."
---
Ryo was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of footsteps. Looking up, he saw Eren, Mikasa, and Armin entering the dining hall. They grabbed their plates and made their way to the table next to him.
"Hey, Ryo," Eren greeted with a friendly nod.
"Yo," Ryo replied casually, not wanting to draw too much attention.
He turned back to his food, focusing on finishing his meal quickly. With everything happening around him, now wasn't the time to get too close to Eren and the others.
But as he reached into his pack, his real treasure emerged: a bottle of ** chili sauce**.
Ryo twisted the cap off, releasing a wave of rich, spicy aroma. The smell instantly filled the dining hall, silencing every conversation. All eyes turned toward him, curiosity and hunger lighting up their faces.
"What's that smell?" someone whispered.
"It smells so good!"
Ryo smirked, dipping a piece of stale bread into the sauce. The once inedible meal suddenly transformed into a gourmet experience.
However, his moment of triumph was interrupted by a sudden blur of motion.
*Swoosh!*
A hand shot toward the bottle, but Ryo's reflexes kicked in. His grip tightened around the sauce as he yanked it away just in time.
Looking down, he saw the culprit: Sasha Blouse. Her outstretched hand hovered awkwardly in mid-air, her expression equal parts embarrassed and desperate.
"Sasha," Ryo said with a raised eyebrow, "what are you doing?"
The entire room erupted with whispers:
"She's stealing food again!"
"That's so shameless!"
"Isn't she the one who ate a potato in front of the instructor?"
Sasha shrank under the weight of the collective stares but didn't back down. "I—I just wanted to see what it was! It smells amazing!"
Before Ryo could respond, Mikasa's quiet voice cut through the chatter. "He's fast."
"Huh?" Eren blinked in confusion. "You mean Sasha? Yeah, she's quick when it comes to food."
"No," Mikasa clarified, her eyes narrowing as she watched Ryo. "I meant him. His reflexes were incredible."
Eren followed her gaze and frowned. "You're right. That was... unexpected."
Ryo chuckled inwardly, pretending not to notice their scrutiny. "Sorry, Sasha, but this is mine," he said firmly, putting the bottle away.
Sasha looked like she might cry but managed a weak nod before retreating to her seat. The dining hall gradually returned to its usual noise, though Ryo could feel Mikasa's sharp eyes lingering on him.