Chapter 14: Return**

Killing Bertholdt brought him unimaginable benefits. If he could take down the Female Titan in front of him, it would truly be a leap to the top.

"She's lost a leg, limiting her mobility."

"Eren is pinning her down from one side, and Mikasa is watching like a hawk from above. The Female Titan's attention shouldn't be on me."

"I can do this. I just need to strike her down before she can react!"

With a burst of gas, Kiba's power was maxed out, and he was closing in on the back of the Female Titan's neck.

He could almost see the golden treasure chest beckoning to him.

But then, a massive hand suddenly came at him, so fast that Kiba only noticed it when it was nearly upon him.

"How...?"

It was too late to dodge. He could only curl his body as tightly as possible to minimize the impact area.

Kiba couldn't understand why his usually reliable senses suddenly failed him.

"Since you've shown such courage, here's a word of advice: perception isn't foolproof. You can use it, but never rely on it."

The guide's words echoed in his mind, and in that moment, he finally understood their meaning.

If the gap in abilities between two parties is too large, "perception" simply ceases to function.

It could be deceived, or even mislead you entirely.

Since entering this world, this was Kiba's biggest mistake.

In a place as perilous as this, the price of a mistake was often paid in blood.

Bang!

There was no suspense—he was slapped away with such force that he bounced several times upon hitting the ground.

[You have been struck by the Female Titan, suffering 44+8 points of crushing damage.]

[You are stunned and have temporarily lost control of your body.]

[You have sustained severe internal injuries, causing a fixed loss of 5 HP per minute.]

If it weren't for the health boost from the Steel Heart, that blow would have killed him instantly.

It truly was a hidden mission; even with all the advantages lined up, one small slip could cost him his life.

Kiba couldn't move for the moment, but that was okay. The situation no longer required him to risk his life.

Annie couldn't escape Eren's relentless pursuit, and Reiner's situation was even worse—facing Levi alone, he had no chance at all.

So what if he was tough to cut? It just meant Levi had to cut him a few more times.

In fact, the hidden mission had already been completed the moment Eren was awakened.

[Hidden Mission: The Traitor's Punishment (Completed)]

[Calculating results... Generating rewards...]

[Since this is the Reincarnator's first time completing a hidden mission, an additional reward choice is granted.]

[Based on your contributions, you may choose any three of the following rewards:]

[Option 1: 1000 Plot Points]

[Option 2: Basic Grappling Scroll LV5]

[Option 3: 10 Merit Points (Rare)]

[Option 4: Perfect Restoration Elixir (Rare)]

[Option 5: Equipment: "The Homeland That Cannot Be Returned To" (Rare)]

Five options, and he could pick three—quite a good deal.

Seeing the "Rare" tag, Kiba didn't hesitate to choose the equipment.

It wasn't until he had it in hand that he realized it was a necklace, and its attributes were exceptionally good, far exceeding his expectations.

"All that effort was worth it."

As for the second choice, after a moment of thought, he made his decision.

**Perfect Restoration Elixir:** Restores 100% of mental and physical health; can be used in battle.

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With this item, it's like having an extra life. There's no way I could just pass it up.

As for the last reward, the basic grappling skill could be dismissed right away. His strength and agility attributes were pretty average, not much better than a regular person's. Learning grappling techniques wouldn't be very effective for him.

The merit points, marked as "rare," seemed special, but he had no idea what they were actually for.

On the other hand, the reward of 1,000 plot points was incredibly tempting. With that, he could fully gear himself up.

"Screw it, let's take a gamble." He decided against the plot points and chose to trust the system's evaluation.

If something is labeled as "rare," then it must have a use somewhere. The Reincarnation Space wouldn't give him something useless just to mess with him, right?

Stashing his rewards into the mark on his wrist, Kiba slowly turned his head to watch Eren advancing step by step towards Reiner.

Due to Kiba's earlier words, Eren's mental state had been severely shaken. It looked like he wanted to swallow Reiner whole.

Seeing this, Levi quickly intervened, though a bit roughly, accidentally leaving Eren covered in blood.

"Damn shorty," Mikasa muttered angrily, but she was rational enough to know that taking care of Eren was the priority right now.

Though the process had been somewhat chaotic, at least they'd successfully uncovered the hidden traitors.

Amid the collective shouts of the others, Kiba's figure slowly faded from view.

In an empty room, Kiba sat in a chair, his focus entirely on the mission results screen before him.

**[Scenario: Attack on Titan]**

**[Mode: Peace Mode]**

**[Difficulty: Easy]**

**[World Line Distortion: 26.85%]**

**[Completion Rating: S]**

**[Mission Rewards: 3 Attribute Points, 6 Merit Points, 600 Plot Points]**

"Huh, the rewards are surprisingly high," Kiba remarked in surprise.

In the third main mission, he hadn't really contributed much and had expected his rating to drop significantly.

It seemed that the hidden mission had boosted his score, or perhaps the world line distortion played a part in it.

There were so many things about this mysterious place that he didn't understand, but he was sure someone could provide the answers he needed.

He pushed open the door of his room and stepped through a membrane that felt like a portal, emerging into a bustling plaza filled with people.

It felt like wandering through a night market, with various stalls lining the road on both sides.

"Beginner's Guide—Learn everything you need to know about the Space in no time!"

"Potions on sale! Alchemical products guaranteed to be top quality!"

"Forming a team for the Sword and Blade world—looking for a skilled healer."

"Crafted with care at the Swordsmith Village! With this in hand, you can take on bosses solo—no sweat."

"Chain Kagune—both offensive and defensive—a must-have for clearing storylines."

"The Blade Squad is recruiting! Don't bother applying if you haven't cleared at least three storylines!"

Kiba wandered around like a curious kid, checking out everything. He was particularly fascinated by the beautiful Kagune from the Tokyo Ghoul world.

This item was controlled by one's mental power, which suited his style perfectly. No matter how he looked at it, Kiba couldn't see himself becoming a close-combat Reincarnator.

Not to mention, he'd just gotten an awesome necklace.

After wandering around for a while, he finally made his way to a stall selling information.

"Hey, boss, give me a Beginner's Guide."

(End of the Chapter)

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