Reincarnated In Attack On Titan World As Nobody

"Kid, that plan of yours… sharp work. You've got a better head for this than half of us."

Sanmao rode beside Lock, studying his young face with a strange mix of admiration and pity.

"But no matter how clever the plan, a Titan's still a Titan. It's dangerous. Honestly, you don't need to be here."

"I'm part of the Survey Corps," Lock answered flatly, eyes steady.

Sanmao's grin widened. "Determined, huh? I think I'm starting to like you."

He glanced toward Levi, who rode silently ahead, eyes fixed on the looming treeline. "What do you say, Levi? Let me take this kid into my squad?"

"Not happening." Levi's gaze never wavered. "We're almost at the rendezvous. Focus."

"Tch. Stingy as ever," Sanmao muttered, then turned back to his men and barked, "Ready up!"

Behind them, two supply wagons rattled, pulled by horses and flanked by dozens of elites. The sound of gear shifting and steel scraping filled the air as soldiers prepared themselves.

Oruo, Petra, Gunther, and Eld—riding further back—watched Lock's figure with conflicted eyes. Especially Petra. The boy had been in the Corps for only a week, yet already carried himself like a veteran.

Now only Levi and Lock remained at the very front.

"If Titans need luring, I'll handle it myself," Levi said coldly, though his eyes softened for just a flicker as he glanced at Lock. In him, he saw an echo of someone long gone.

"You can't draw them all alone," Lock replied evenly. "And that's not your task. Your job is to kill as many as possible—especially the ones that jump."

Levi's lips curved in the faintest smirk. "Don't need a kid reminding me."

Still, he noted how calm Lock was. Tactical instinct, combat strength, composure under pressure—remarkable in someone his age. After the last meeting, multiple squads had even tried to recruit him, some pushing to make him deputy-captain outright.

Levi shut them all down. No one was taking Lock under their wing.

They entered the forest. The colossal trees rose higher than the walls themselves, blotting out the sky. The air grew damp and cold. Beneath the towering trunks, dozens of Titans stirred.

Several stood to their full height, strange forms twisting unnaturally as they spotted the intruders. Among them, an abnormal already crouched to spring.

"Don't die," Levi said, drawing his blades.

"You too."

And with that brief farewell, they split.

Lock spurred his horse right, deliberately drawing attention. Dozens of Titans turned and followed, their massive forms crashing through the undergrowth. The thunder of their pursuit shook the forest.

Behind, Levi disappeared into the shadows, launching into combat against those that remained. The hiss of his gear and the clash of steel carried faintly through the trees, but Lock never worried. If anyone could carve apart Titans, it was Levi—the strongest soldier humanity had.

Lock leaned low over his horse as it bolted, weaving between tree trunks. The terrain worked in his favor: Titans collided with branches, tangled against trunks, or blocked each other in their frenzy to reach him.

But then—movement ahead.

A Titan different from the rest. Instead of charging, it leapt. Each bound carried it more than three meters, its five-meter frame twisting unnaturally through the air.

"A jumper," Lock muttered, eyes narrowing. "That one's a threat."

Before he could act, sharp cracks split the air—signal flares. From the left, green smoke blossomed skyward in thick clouds.

Lock's grip on the reins tightened. The next stage had begun.

---

A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon

Support: patreon.com/Narrator_San