Winter had arrived.
A cold wind swept through Shiganshina, carrying with it the familiar scent of snow and wood smoke.
I walked beside my father, hands tucked into my pockets.
At six years old, I had already grown far beyond what most children my age could achieve.
Not physically—at least not visibly.
The system had helped me develop steadily over the years, but I was careful never to reveal too much.
Hidden strength was often more valuable than visible strength.
Beside me, Grisha adjusted the medical bag hanging from his shoulder.
"We’ll be visiting an old friend today."
I nodded.
An old friend.
I knew exactly who he meant.
The Ackermans.
A family that would soon suffer a terrible tragedy.
A family whose daughter would become one of the strongest soldiers humanity had ever known.
Mikasa Ackerman.
The mission window suddenly appeared.
==================
Special Mission
Save Mikasa Ackerman
Reward:
3 Gacha Tickets
1 Rare Gacha Ticket
Hidden Reward Available
==================
My heartbeat accelerated.
A Rare Ticket.
This was the first time the system had offered one.
But more importantly—
The mission had appeared.
That meant the event was close.
Very close.
Canon was beginning.
And if canon was beginning...
Then the kidnappers had already made their move.
I clenched my fists.
This was the first major turning point in the story.
The first life I intended to save.
Hours later, we arrived at a secluded cabin surrounded by trees.
The moment I saw it, my stomach sank.
The front door was open.
Too open.
Too quiet.
Even Grisha immediately sensed something was wrong.
His expression darkened.
"Eren."
His voice became serious.
"Stay behind me."
I obeyed outwardly.
Internally, however, I was already preparing myself.
We entered the cabin.
The scene inside was horrifying.
Furniture overturned.
Blood on the floor.
Signs of struggle everywhere.
Grisha’s face instantly turned pale.
"No..."
I already knew what he had found.
The bodies.
Mikasa’s parents.
Dead.
Just as they had been in the original timeline.
For a brief moment, anger surged through me.
Even though I knew it would happen, seeing it with my own eyes was different.
Much different.
The room felt colder.
Heavier.
I took a deep breath.
There was no time to mourn.
Mikasa was still alive.
At least for now.
The kidnappers would be holding her somewhere nearby.
And unlike canon—
I wasn’t a helpless child.
The system screen appeared.
==================
Host: Eren Yeager
Age: 6
Strength: 12
Agility: 11
Vitality: 12
Spirit: 19
==================
My stats were already absurd compared to an ordinary six-year-old.
Not enough to fight Titans.
But more than enough to handle criminals.
Quietly, I slipped away while Grisha focused on examining the scene.
He didn’t notice.
I was gone before he could stop me.
The snow crunched beneath my boots as I moved through the forest.
Thanks to Enhanced Memory, I remembered every detail of the original event.
The direction.
The approximate location.
The cabin where Mikasa was being held.
Everything.
Ten minutes later, I found it.
A small hunting cabin hidden among the trees.
Light leaked through the windows.
Voices echoed from inside.
I approached carefully.
Three men.
Just like canon.
One guarding the door.
Two inside.
And somewhere among them—
Mikasa.
My breathing slowed.
This wasn’t a game.
One mistake could get us both killed.
Then another notification appeared.
[Ding.]
Hidden Objective Added.
Save Mikasa Without Serious Injury.
Bonus Reward Available.
I almost laughed.
The system really loved making things difficult.
Slowly, I moved toward the side window.
Peeking inside, I finally saw her.
A small girl with black hair.
Red eyes swollen from crying.
Hands bound.
Fear visible across her face.
Mikasa Ackerman.
The future strongest soldier in humanity.
At this moment, however...
She was simply a terrified child.
For a second, our eyes met.
Surprise flashed across her face.
She clearly wasn’t expecting another child.
I raised a finger to my lips.
Stay quiet.
Fortunately, she understood.
Good.
Now came the difficult part.
In the original story, Eren had entered recklessly and killed one kidnapper before nearly dying himself.
That wasn’t happening today.
I already knew where the first man was standing.
I knew where the knife was.
I knew exactly what mistakes not to make.
Carefully, I picked up a thick branch from the snow-covered ground.
Then I moved.
Fast.
Far faster than any six-year-old should have been capable of.
The guard outside barely had time to react.
The branch crashed into the side of his head.
Crack!
The man collapsed instantly.
Unconscious.
Not dead.
No unnecessary risks.
Without hesitation, I entered the cabin.
"What the—"
One of the kidnappers turned toward me.
Too late.
I threw the knife I had taken from the unconscious guard.
The blade struck his shoulder.
The man screamed.
Chaos erupted.
The third kidnapper lunged toward me.
His face twisted with rage.
But compared to my enhanced stats, he looked slow.
Painfully slow.
I sidestepped.
Kicked his knee.
The joint bent unnaturally.
The man crashed to the floor screaming.
The second criminal reached for another weapon.
Before he could draw it—
A blur moved behind him.
Mikasa.
Her eyes had changed.
The famous Ackerman awakening.
It was happening.
Now.
The terrified little girl vanished.
Something primal took its place.
She attacked with terrifying precision.
The criminal never stood a chance.
Moments later, silence filled the cabin.
The danger was over.
For several seconds neither of us spoke.
Then Mikasa looked toward me.
Confusion.
Relief.
Gratitude.
All mixed together.
"You..."
Her voice trembled.
"You came."
I smiled.
"Of course I did."
A notification exploded across my vision.
[Ding!]
Mission Complete!
Reward Granted!
3 Gacha Tickets Obtained!
1 Rare Gacha Ticket Obtained!
Hidden Objective Complete!
Bonus Reward Granted!
[Special Skill Acquired.]
[Danger Sense Lv.1]
For a moment, I froze.
Danger Sense.
A genuine combat skill.
My first skill.
And judging by the name...
A very useful one.
The system wasn’t disappointing after all.
As footsteps echoed outside the cabin, I knew help had finally arrived.
Grisha.
The authorities.
Everything was about to return to normal.
At least on the surface.
Because deep down, I knew something important had changed.
Canon had already begun to shift.
And this was only the beginning.
Far beyond the walls, hidden enemies continued preparing for their mission.
They had no idea.
The boy they intended to destroy one day was already changing the future.
One event at a time.