Chapter 7: Awakening Talent

Eren waking up early meant that Kiba nearly completed two tasks simultaneously.

**[Side Mission: Awaken Eren (Completed)]**

**[You have earned 80 Plot Points]**

Side missions are extra rewards that usually emerge randomly during the main storyline. As a result, the rewards for side missions are generally less substantial, at least compared to the main mission rewards within the same story world.

However, side missions do have their advantages—they can often be completed by leveraging existing opportunities, provided the participant has the insight to recognize them.

Looking at the newly acquired reward, Kiba smiled calmly, "Something is better than nothing."

Earning 80 plot points wasn't much; the true value of this mission was proving that he could indeed alter the storyline through foresight.

As the plot progresses, it often triggers special missions, completing which can yield various rewards.

This is what Kiba truly desired.

**[Main Mission: Clear the Path (Completed)]**

**[You have earned 120 Plot Points, and 1 ODM Gear Control Scroll]**

With Eren awake, the mission was now entering the next phase. There was no need to clear the path anymore; the focus was now on protecting the Attack Titan as he transported the boulder.

The guides lurking in the shadows couldn't help but marvel at how unexpectedly fast this trial mission was progressing.

"Strange, where did that guy go?"

At this moment, Kiba was inspecting the skill scroll in his hand.

Its function was simple—once confirmed, he could directly acquire the skill to control ODM (Omni-Directional Mobility) gear.

However, Kiba was curious. He had already been granted temporary skills, so would using this scroll overwrite them?

Seeing Eren still studying the giant boulder, Kiba decided to go ahead and use the skill scroll in his hand.

The reincarnation space was quite intelligent—surely it wouldn't let him suffer a loss after using a reward, right?

**[You have learned ODM Gear Control LV1]**

When he opened the skill module, he immediately understood how the space had handled it.

*Basic Skill: ODM Gear Control LV3 (Temporary +2)*

Although he had only learned the skill at level 1, he could now perform at a level 3 proficiency. At this point, his control over the ODM gear was no less than that of a veteran soldier.

"If only I could raise it a few more levels," he mused. As he did, he saw the Attack Titan lifting the boulder onto its shoulder with difficulty.

Right on cue, the space's prompt sounded.

**[Main Mission: Trost District Retake Operation (Unlocked)]**

**[Mission Description: Eliminate the Titans at the gate—this will be humanity's greatest counterattack.]**

**[Mission Requirement: Protect the plot character Eren Yeager until the wall breach is sealed.]**

**[Mission Tip: Pure Titans will actively move toward Eren.]**

**[Mission Tip: Pure Titans' movement speed will be enhanced.]**

**[Mission Tip: Completing the mission will exit you from the story world.]**

**[Special Tip: Your performance will directly impact the mission rating, so choose wisely!]**

Familiar with the plot, Kiba had already anticipated the third stage of the mission.

Protecting Eren as he advanced shouldn't be too difficult overall. Even if the path was blocked, that godlike man would soon return to clear the way.

It seemed that, as the guide had said, the difficulty of the trial storyline was relatively low. As long as you courageously faced your inner fears, there was a good chance of completing this mission.

In fact, Kiba had entirely misunderstood this point.

With attributes far exceeding the norm, he couldn't comprehend the terror felt by other newcomers.

While it was true that Titans moved slowly, their unpredictable behavior was a real headache because you never knew when one might suddenly jump out from around the corner.

Moreover, the existence of Abnormal Titans posed the greatest threat. Each appearance was almost always a life-and-death struggle.

Of the nine newcomers who entered the space, three had already been devoured by Titans, all falling to Abnormal Titans.

As for the toughest part of the Trost District Retake Operation, it was still unclear how many of the remaining six would survive.

As the guide had said, the space was always a place where the strong thrived while the weak walked on thin ice.

If you didn't want to be swallowed by the gradually increasing difficulties, you had to seize every opportunity to grow stronger.

"Ugh." Suddenly, Kiba groaned, feeling as though every cell in his body was burning up.

The intense pain washed over him in an instant, yet strangely, his mind remained calm enough to analyze the situation.

"No one attacked me; otherwise, the system would have notified me."

"It's not the influence of a Titan or a plot character, and I don't have Ymir's bloodline."

After ruling out all possibilities, he finally identified the source: the talent currently evolving within him.

Only it could be responsible for the abnormal changes in his body.

**[Talent fusion complete, you have acquired the Legendary Trait: Heart of Steel]**

About half an hour later, Kiba, drenched in sweat, struggled to his feet.

The recent system notification confirmed Kiba's suspicion.

Just as the storyline was nearing its end, that damn talent had finally finished its fusion.

It sounded impressive, but he was unsure of its exact effects.

Gazing at the distant battle, he knew that getting a high reward was unlikely, so he simply sat down on the rooftop and checked the legendary talent that had finally manifested.

**[Heart of Steel (Legendary Trait): Killing a target will permanently increase your HP by 1-5 points (up to a maximum of 20 points per world).]**

Kiba was momentarily stunned before immediately opening his character attribute module.

**HP: 50/50** 

**Status: Healthy** 

**Strength: 6** 

**Constitution: 5** 

**Agility: 5** 

**Spirit: 12** 

**Perception: 10**

His current HP was only 50 points, meaning that if he put in the effort, he could likely boost it to 70 points by the end of the mission.

That would be an increase of nearly 50%, equivalent to a direct two-point increase in his Constitution attribute.

In the short term, this might not seem significant, but over time, it would undoubtedly help him develop into a high-HP tank.

The Reincarnation Space was so dangerous, who knew what he might encounter in the future? Having a robust pool of HP would be his greatest guarantee of surviving crises.

"Good, it was worth the wait."

Gripping the hilt of his blade, Kiba felt more confident about attempting that one thing.

If he could complete the task, it would surely yield a rich reward. Since there was no time to rush to contribute to the main mission, he decided to abandon the reward from it altogether.

What was the most important matter on Paradis Island at this moment? 

Sealing the hole in Trost District? 

Or uncovering the mysteries of the Attack Titan's powers?

Neither. It was identifying the Colossal Titan and Armored Titan's true identities; otherwise, the third wall could be breached at any time.

If he could gather enough evidence and prematurely resolve what should have been a complex plot, would the space hesitate to reward him generously? 

(End of Chapter)