The wind carried the scent of freshly tilled earth and the lingering stench of charred wood. Shiganshina had fallen, but the echoes of that day still roamed freely in my mind. Days had passed, yet the pain was fresh, raw, and unrelenting. I had spent every moment training, forcing my body past its limits, and yet, it never felt like enough.
Eren, Mikasa, Armin, and I had signed up for the Training Corps, our shared goal binding us tighter than ever before.
As we stood before the entrance of the training grounds, the weight of our choices pressed upon us. The 104th Training Corps loomed ahead, a place that would mold us into soldiers. Or break us.
"This is it," Eren muttered, his fists clenching.
"It's just training," I said, forcing a grin. "How bad can it be?"
Armin sighed. "Famous last words."
Before we could dwell on that thought, a deep, thunderous voice shattered the air.
"Welcome to HELL, you useless maggots!"
A massive man with a square jaw and a gaze that could pierce steel stormed toward us. Keith Shadis, head instructor. He wasted no time in making his presence known.
The next hour was a blur of yelling, running, and a distinct sensation of my soul leaving my body as Shadis tore through us like a hurricane of rage.
"Jaeger! You look like you're ready to pick a fight with a Titan! Good! You'll be dead first!"
"Arlert! Do you think this is a library? Stand up straight before I break your spine!"
"Kurogane! That's the face of a man who thinks he's clever! Drop down and give me fifty!"
I barely had the strength to groan before my arms started working on instinct. This man was relentless.
[System Update]
Achievement Unlocked: "The Boot Camp Blues" Reward: Farm Element Unlocked (??? Feature Added)
I froze mid-push-up. Wait. What?
My system had given me some pretty solid upgrades before. Strength, agility, stealth skills. And now... a farm element?
"No way," I muttered.
A secondary window popped up.
[Farm Element Unlocked!]
Congratulations! As a reward for suffering through boot camp and entertaining the unseen audience, the Farm System has been installed! Grow crops, raise livestock, and enjoy the simple farmer life! Warning: This feature is purely for humor and stress relief. Do not expect actual battle utility.
I wanted to scream.
I survived a Titan attack. I was preparing for war. And my system thought this was the best time to give me a virtual farm.
I glanced at the others. No one seemed to notice my internal crisis. Eren was still fuming at Shadis. Mikasa was stoic, as always. Armin looked ready to pass out.
"I don't know whether to be impressed or insulted," I muttered under my breath.
The Training Begins
The first few days of training were grueling. Running, hand-to-hand combat, endurance drills that made my muscles scream in protest.
The most important test was the vertical maneuvering equipment. This was the core of being a soldier in the Survey Corps. If you couldn't master ODM gear, you had no business fighting Titans.
"Alright, maggots!" Shadis bellowed. "You either hang, or you drop! No second chances!"
The harnesses were uncomfortable, the belts digging into my sides. Around me, the other trainees struggled to balance themselves. I caught glimpses of familiar faces—Sasha struggling to stop spinning, Connie flailing, Jean looking way too confident for someone who was seconds from faceplanting.
Eren was tense, determination burning in his eyes.
"Just lean into it," I told him. "Trust your center."
He nodded, but I could see the nervous energy thrumming through him.
When it was my turn, I took a deep breath and let my body adjust. The sensation of weightlessness was strange but not unfamiliar. Years of sneaking around in the dungeon had given me a natural instinct for balance. I controlled my breathing and—
Click.
I stabilised instantly.
"Hmph. Lucky bastard," Jean muttered.
"It's called skill, horse-face," I shot back.
Jean bristled. "What did you just call me?!"
Before I could retort, Eren yelled as he lost control and flipped upside down.
"Eren!" Armin gasped.
Shadis narrowed his eyes. "Jaeger! You better figure it out, or I'll throw you into a Titan's mouth!"
Eren gritted his teeth, struggling to balance himself.
And then, miraculously, he did.
His face lit up. "I did it!"
Mikasa sighed in relief. Armin clapped, and I smirked. "Not bad."
Eren grinned. "You doubted me?"
"You were upside down a second ago."
He scowled. "Shut up."
Keeping an Eye on the Future
As the days passed, I kept my training up, but more than that, I observed.
Annie, Reiner, and Bertholdt.
I knew their secrets. I knew what they were. But I couldn't act yet. Any sudden change in behavior would draw suspicion, and right now, I had to stay in the background. I kept my conversations neutral, occasionally sparring with Annie but never pushing too hard.
She was strong—far stronger than she let on. Every time we fought, I could feel her testing me, trying to gauge what I was capable of.
Reiner and Bertholdt? They played the long game, blending in with the other trainees. Their patience was terrifying.
I would act when the time was right. For now, I would train, grow stronger, and prepare.
A Grim Reminder
A week into training, we were sent to an abandoned village outside Wall Rose for a simulated rescue mission.
The houses were eerily silent, the remnants of lives once lived scattered about. It was a grim reminder of what had happened to Shiganshina.
Eren stood still, staring at a broken toy on the ground.
"Eren," Mikasa said softly.
He clenched his jaw. "How many more towns will end up like this?"
I didn't have an answer.
The mission was routine—searching for survivors, reporting damages. But it felt more like a wake than an exercise.
I found an old book in one of the houses. It was filled with stories of life before the Walls were built, of open fields and skies that stretched beyond the horizon. I tucked it into my coat, a small piece of history worth preserving.
As we left the village, I glanced back one last time.
A future outside these Walls.
Was such a thing possible?
I clenched my fists. If it wasn't, I would make it so.