"Here are the syringes you wanted."
The Shop Owner pushed two palm-sized wooden boxes toward Lucien. Inside each box rested a gleaming medical syringe, carefully wrapped in soft cloth.
Lucien nodded slightly. "Thanks. But I'm out of gold coins. My entire fortune is now yours."
He opened the boxes, inspected the syringes briefly, then tucked them neatly away in his satchel.
"I heard Commander Erwin of the Survey Corps invited you to join them?" the Shop Owner asked curiously. The syringes themselves weren't worth much; what truly surprised him was the man standing before him—someone about to join the most dangerous branch of the military.
"It was hard to refuse his kind invitation," Lucien replied with an easy shrug. "For me, there isn't much difference between the Garrison Regiment and the Survey Corps."
His tone was casual, but his eyes were distant. According to his own calculations, Wall Rose would be breached today by the Colossal Titan. The clock was ticking.
Time had moved quickly. It had been three months since Lucien found himself in this world. Two months and twenty days had gone into mastering Soru and Geppo, and the remaining ten days had been dedicated to perfecting his use of the Vertical Maneuvering Equipment. His progress had been rapid, almost frighteningly so.
Now, his countdown had entered its final seven days.
At midnight, he would receive a new [Dice]—a reward marking his third natural month in this world.
"Oh, and one more thing," Lucien said suddenly, glancing toward the Shop Owner. "Since we're at least acquaintances, I'd advise you to head for Wall Sina immediately."
The Shop Owner blinked. "What do you mean?"
Lucien secured the syringes inside his coat, adjusted his Maneuvering Gear, and smiled faintly. "I've already told you. Whether you do as you're told is up to you."
With that, he waved over his shoulder and left.
Most of the Survey Corps had already departed for an expedition beyond Wall Maria, so Lucien saw no reason to report in just yet. Instead, he decided to rest. The coming days would be busy enough.
The Shop Owner stood frozen for a moment, watching Lucien's figure disappear into the distance. His expression darkened with thought.
"Atle," he called out sharply. "Pack up. We're heading to Wall Sina."
The young assistant blinked in confusion. "Boss?"
"Just do it," the Shop Owner said, pinching his chin thoughtfully. His instincts rarely failed him. Having turned his merchant guild into one of the top ten in the Eldian Empire, he trusted his gut implicitly. "It just so happens I have business there anyway."
"Yes, Boss."
---
Lucien returned to his small dwelling near the outer wall. The Shop Owner had generously extended his rent for another two weeks free of charge—a gesture Lucien suspected came from both respect and curiosity.
He stripped down, bathed in the river under the fading afternoon sun, and then returned to his room wearing only a pair of elastic shorts. Lying on his bed, he closed his eyes and began mentally reviewing the sequence of upcoming events.
According to the timeline of this world, the Colossal Titan would appear soon—kicking down the gate of Wall Rose.
Eren would rush to save Armin, only to be swallowed by a bearded Titan. That event would awaken his Titan power—the Attack Titan. After slaying several Titans, he'd be mistaken for a threat and nearly executed by cannon fire before Armin's desperate plea convinced the Garrison Regiment to give Eren a chance to seal the gate with a boulder.
Later, Commander Erwin and Levi would return with the Survey Corps, leading to Eren's trial. Levi would mercilessly beat him before taking him under the Corps' command. The other members of the 104th Training Corps—Mikasa, Armin, Jean, Reiner, Connie, Sasha, and the others—would soon follow, officially joining the Survey Corps.
From there, humanity would launch its 57th expedition outside the walls, during which Erwin would begin suspecting a traitor among their ranks—a Titan Shifter. He would orchestrate a trap to capture the Female Titan in the Forest of Giant Trees.
A fierce battle would follow. The Female Titan would nearly succeed in capturing Eren, but Levi's overwhelming skill—and Mikasa's intervention—would save him. Even so, Annie would eventually encase herself in crystal to avoid capture.
That marked the end of the first season.
The second season would reveal the Beast Titan's horrifying experiments, turning the people of Connie's hometown into mindless Titans. Ymir would reveal herself as the Jaw Titan to protect Historia (Krista), while Reiner and Bertholdt, breaking under pressure, would expose themselves as the Armored and Colossal Titans. Another brutal battle would ensue, leading to Eren's capture and eventual rescue.
By the third season, political chaos within the walls would unfold. Armin would inherit the Colossal Titan after consuming Bertholdt, and fragments of the world's true history would be revealed.
After that point, the story ventured into the Marley Empire—territory Lucien knew little about, as he hadn't read that far in the manga.
But it didn't matter.
Lucien's lips curved into a thin smile. In his mind, the second and third seasons were unnecessary. He planned to end it early—by devouring every intelligent Titan before the first season concluded.
He could afford to be bold. Transmigrators were built differently.
Still, he wasn't careless.
He opened his system panel. The golden finger that had accompanied him across worlds appeared in his vision.
---
[Continuous Mission: Hunt the Sons of Destiny, Heavenly Villains, Transmigrators, Reincarnators, and Reborn individuals.
Reward: +4 Dice Rolls.
Supporting characters or villainous characters yield additional Dice Rolls depending on narrative importance. Random Luck Bonus applies.]
---
Lucien frowned slightly. In the previous world—the world of pirates—he had suspected that Enel had been another transmigrator. He never had the chance to confirm whether Reincarnators existed there.
That meant this world might also contain similar outsiders. They could be Transmigrators like him, or even Reincarnators, all with their own systems or golden fingers.
And any one of them could be stronger than him.
His first goal wasn't to kill them—it was to survive.
Only under absolute certainty would he strike.
Lucien sighed softly. "This isn't about underestimating myself. It's just… too many golden fingers out there."
Some of those abilities defied logic—instant mastery, infinite regeneration, absolute invulnerability. He couldn't compete head-on until he had enough strength and [Dice] to turn fate itself in his favor.
Reincarnators were easier to identify. Those were dangerous but predictable.
Lucien had been observing the people around Eren for days. So far, he hadn't noticed anything unusual. No one displayed unnatural confidence or strange behavior typical of otherworldly beings. Still, he refused to let his guard down.
"There are too many of us these days," he muttered. "Transmigrators, Reincarnators,... it's getting crowded."
He exhaled deeply, pushing the thought aside. Worrying wouldn't change anything. Planning would.
His next target was clear: the Female Titan.
According to the timeline, she would be severely injured by Levi during the battle in the Forest of Giant Trees. That would be his chance.
If he wasn't going to...