Tang An stood on the colossal wall, the wind tousling his short hair.
Pixis had just ordered all the Garrison Regiment and the 104th Training Corps to lure the Titans to the corners of the wall to give Eren a chance to transform into a titan and carry the giant boulder to seal the breached outer gate.
This outcome didn’t surprise Tang An. He had even been conscripted. Pixis seemed aware of Tang An’s exceptional promotion to the Survey Corps by Erwin, indicating that his information had likely spread among the higher-ups. It might also have come from the woman named Anka, who had previously provided some details.
Thus, Tang An was now assigned to protect Eren, specifically clearing the titans around him. Armin, Mikasa, Connie, and the one Tang An was most concerned about, Zhou Wei, were also part of this group.
Zhou Wei appeared entirely different, donning a yellow combat uniform and maneuvering gear. Tang An was sure that Zhou Wei didn’t initially know how to use the gear, as he had been excitedly examining it when he first got it. After staring into space for ten seconds, this guy suddenly mastered using the maneuvering gear.
If this isn’t a cheat ability, Tang An would livestream eating shit upside down.
Tang An felt a heavy weight in his heart.
Zhou Wei seemed able to learn any skill in the shortest amount of time, which meant he was unfathomable, with hidden cards unknown to Tang An.
“Begin the operation.”
As Tang An pondered, a signal flare rose in the sky, and all soldiers leaped from the wall to execute their tasks.
“Eren!”
Connie, Mikasa, Armin, Zhou Wei, Jean, and the others quickly flew toward the outer gate wall, with Tang An following closely behind, determined to hide his true strength.
This mission would likely be much easier with Zhou Wei around than in the original story.
As Tang An predicted, Zhou Wei’s prowess stunned everyone. Titans fell to him as if they were mere toys, effortlessly defeated.
Tang An, on the other hand, played it safe, struggling to kill even one titan, making it look very challenging.
“Zhou Wei is so strong.”
Connie and the others watched Zhou Wei effortlessly clear over a dozen titans, their eyes filled with admiration and awe.
“Eren, now’s the time.”
They had reached the giant boulder, and Eren needed to transform into a titan to carry the boulder and seal the gate.
“Got it.”
Eren bit his finger, and as blood splattered, a golden lightning bolt descended. Amidst roars and gales, Eren transformed into the black-haired, green-eyed Attack Titan.
However, Eren seemed to lose control, attacking Mikasa before collapsing near the boulder, steam billowing from his body. It was Armin who finally woke him up.
With a roar of determination, Eren lifted the boulder, steam gushing from his body as he moved towards the outer gate.
Along the way, mindless titans that tried to stop him were swiftly dealt with by Zhou Wei, Mikasa, and the others.
“Boom!”
The ground shook as the boulder slammed into the gate, sealing the breach.
“We…we did it.”
Connie and the others were in disbelief.
“Signal the success.”
As the flare rose into the sky, soldiers who had been luring titans to the wall’s corners and those in other areas cheered with joy.
“Commander Pixis, we did it.”
“The outer gate is sealed.”
“We succeeded, we did it.”
Everyone cheered; seeing the gate sealed gave them hope. This meant they could potentially reclaim Wall Maria.
At the gate, Mikasa and Armin pulled Eren from the nape of his titan form, unable to contain their emotions.
“Did we succeed?”
Eren, weak and barely conscious, asked.
“Eren, we did it.”
Armin looked at the sealed gate behind them.
At that moment, five titans appeared, breaking through the defenses set by Zhou Wei, Connie, and the others.
“Damn it.”
Mikasa and Armin were alarmed.
“Whoosh…”
In an instant, two figures appeared. One of them, moving at lightning speed, took down three titans—Levi. Zhou Wei dealt with the other two titans.
“Can someone explain what happened here?”
Levi stood atop a titan corpse, glancing at Zhou Wei before focusing on Eren, Mikasa, and Armin.
The Survey Corps had returned at this crucial moment.
With the Survey Corps’ aid, the southern Trost District was cleared of titans within half a day.
Next came Eren’s trial and the decision regarding his fate.
Tang An had no interest in getting involved. He returned to his residence to bathe and resume his daily training. Although his home was nearly in ruins, one room remained intact.
As a soldier in the Training Corps, he had some degree of freedom, but he was not yet officially part of the Survey Corps.
If memory served, the next step would be for the 104th Training Corps to choose their respective regiments, with Mikasa, Armin, and the others undoubtedly joining the Survey Corps.
This would lead to the 57th Exterior Scouting Mission, where the Female Titan Annie would appear.
That’s when he would need to act.
Tang An couldn’t help but think about Zhou Wei, the most unpredictable factor.
That night, the stars shone brightly.
At the Survey Corps headquarters, Erwin stood by the window, gazing at the stars, while Levi sat in a chair, sipping a drink and reading a document.
“What do you make of this Zhou Wei?”
Erwin’s desk held two files—one on Tang An and the other on Zhou Wei.
They had thoroughly investigated Tang An, but Zhou Wei, who had suddenly appeared, caught Erwin’s attention. According to Mikasa and the others’ testimonies, Zhou Wei possessed unknown powers, such as shooting a golden creature from his hand and killing titans with a single palm strike. He also exhibited superhuman speed.
Yet, the investigation revealed that Zhou Wei was from Wall Maria, with a family history spanning five generations, all well-documented and without suspicion.
Erwin couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.
“Tang An is understandable, but this Zhou Wei feels…different.”
“You suspect him?”
Levi put down the document, his gaze icy.
Erwin walked over to his desk, looking at the two files before speaking after a moment of silence. “Tomorrow’s Eren’s trial. We need to find a way to keep him in the Survey Corps.”
“Understood.”
That night, no one could find peace.
Eren was locked in a dungeon.
Unbeknownst to him, the moon had reached its zenith, and midnight had just passed.
Lying on his bed, Tang An opened the system interface, ready to roll the dice.
Today marked the third natural month.
Who knew what he would get?
Despite his apprehension, Tang An couldn’t help but hope.
“Let’s do this.”
The dice began to spin and jump. A model airplane crossed three squares, and with a flash of light, an item appeared before Tang An.
“A lighter.”
“Description: A lighter’s main components are the ignition mechanism and gas tank. The ignition mechanism produces a spark that ignites the gas. Mainly used for lighting cigarettes, cooking, and other fire-starting needs.”
Tang An stared at the lighter in his hand, the kind you could buy for a buck at a roadside stand.
A month’s wait, and all he got was a cheap lighter.
A profound sense of disappointment washed over him.
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