One percent.
The number wasn’t impressive.
In fact, most people would probably laugh at it.
But to me?
It was proof.
Proof that the future wasn’t fixed.
Proof that destiny could bleed.
And once something could bleed...
It could be killed.
For years, I had carried the burden of knowing the future.
Every smile from Carla.
Every conversation with Armin.
Every quiet moment with Mikasa.
I remembered exactly how much pain awaited them.
How much suffering.
How much loss.
No matter how strong I became, a part of me feared that everything would happen exactly as before.
Now that fear had cracked.
Only slightly.
But it had cracked.
And that changed everything.
"Ding."
A new notification appeared.
==================
Special Challenge
The Future Cannot Be Changed?
Progress: 1%
Reward: Unknown
==================
I smiled.
Then closed the screen.
There was no point obsessing over percentages.
Results mattered.
The rest would follow.
Over the next several months, life inside Shiganshina continued peacefully.
On the surface.
Children played.
Merchants traded.
Families laughed.
Nobody realized they were living in borrowed time.
Sometimes I wondered if ignorance was a blessing.
Would they smile so easily if they knew what was coming?
Would they sleep so peacefully?
Probably not.
Perhaps some truths were too cruel.
Unfortunately, I knew all of them.
One afternoon, I found myself sitting beside Armin near the river.
As usual, he was carrying a book.
As usual, I was pretending not to know the contents.
"The world beyond the walls is incredible."
His eyes sparkled.
"There are deserts made entirely of sand."
I nodded.
"There are."
"Wait."
Armin blinked.
"How do you know?"
I nearly cursed.
That had slipped out far too naturally.
Thinking quickly, I pointed at the book.
"You talk about it all the time."
Thankfully, he accepted the explanation.
Barely.
Still, moments like that reminded me how careful I needed to be.
The more I changed things, the easier it became to make mistakes.
Mistakes created questions.
Questions created attention.
And attention could become dangerous.
Especially with certain people already inside the walls.
The warriors.
The thought brought my mood down instantly.
I hadn’t forgotten about them.
Not for a second.
Somewhere beyond my sight, three children were blending into humanity.
Waiting.
Observing.
Preparing.
The future Colossal Titan.
The future Armored Titan.
The future Female Titan.
At the moment, they were probably struggling with their mission.
Confused.
Uncertain.
Forced to live among the very people they were supposed to destroy.
In another life, I might have felt sympathy.
Now?
I couldn’t afford that luxury.
Not when thousands of lives hung in the balance.
Not when Carla’s life hung in the balance.
That evening, after finishing training, I opened my status screen.
==================
Host: Eren Yeager
Age: 9
Strength: 29
Agility: 30
Vitality: 29
Spirit: 31
Skills:
Enhanced Memory
Danger Sense Lv.2
Adaptive Growth
Intermediate Swordsmanship Lv.2
Battle Instinct
==================
I stared for a moment.
The numbers had become ridiculous.
Compared to ordinary adults, I was already operating on an entirely different level.
Yet I still felt weak.
Because I knew what awaited me.
Humans.
Titans.
Titan Shifters.
None of those enemies cared about statistics.
A single mistake was enough.
And mistakes got people killed.
"Ding."
Another notification appeared.
==================
Milestone Achieved
All Attributes Above 30
Reward Available
==================
My eyes lit up.
Now this was interesting.
I immediately claimed it.
A dark purple chest materialized before me.
Larger than any previous reward container.
Its surface shimmered with strange runes.
Even before opening it, I could tell this reward was special.
Slowly, the lid lifted.
A brilliant flash filled my room.
[Reward Obtained.]
[Unique Passive Skill]
[Combat Focus]
I froze.
Another Unique skill?
Already?
The description appeared.
==================
Combat Focus
Rank: Unique
When engaged in battle:
Mental distractions reduced.
Decision-making speed increased.
Fear effects greatly reduced.
Combat efficiency increased.
==================
I stared silently.
Then laughed.
Not because it was funny.
Because it was absurdly useful.
Many people underestimated mental skills.
I didn’t.
A stronger body meant nothing if panic controlled your actions.
Fear killed.
Hesitation killed.
Confusion killed.
Combat Focus directly addressed all three.
Combined with Battle Instinct and Danger Sense...
My combat ability had reached another level entirely.
The future suddenly looked much less frightening.
At least until another notification appeared.
And this one immediately erased my smile.
[Ding.]
Emergency Event Detected.
A key character has entered your vicinity.
I frowned.
Key character?
Who?
The system rarely used that designation.
The answer appeared moments later.
[Distance: 472 Meters.]
[Distance: 398 Meters.]
[Distance: 301 Meters.]
The number continued dropping.
Rapidly.
My heartbeat accelerated.
Someone important was approaching.
Very important.
[Distance: 120 Meters.]
[Distance: 75 Meters.]
Then—
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
A sound echoed from the front door of the Yeager house.
Carla stood from her chair.
"I’ll get it."
My instincts screamed.
Danger Sense activated.
Battle Instinct activated.
Every skill I possessed suddenly reacted at once.
For the first time since obtaining them.
A cold chill traveled down my spine.
Whoever stood behind that door...
They mattered.
A lot.
The front door slowly opened.
A familiar voice echoed through the house.
"Excuse me."
"I was told a doctor lives here."
The moment I heard the voice, my entire body froze.
Impossible.
No.
It couldn’t be.
Not this early.
Not now.
Because I recognized that voice.
And if I was right...
One of the future Warrior Trio had just arrived at my house.
Without warning.
Without preparation.
Without any chance to avoid the encounter.
For the first time since my rebirth...
I was about to meet an enemy face to face.