Reincarnated In Attack On Titan World As Nobody

"Wait a minute."

Shin paused mid-step. Turning his head, he saw Levi standing behind him with his usual stoic expression, arms folded, sharp gaze locked on him.

Shin raised an eyebrow, unfazed. "Something you need?"

"Join the Survey Corps," Levi said bluntly.

There was no hesitation, no buildup—just a direct order from humanity's strongest soldier.

Shin blinked. "Alright."

"…Oh," Levi replied, before turning on his heel and walking away without another word.

Shin's lips twitched. What was that? Was it really necessary to be so dramatic?

What he didn't see was the faint trace of awkwardness on Levi's face as the man walked away. He hadn't expected such a quick agreement. That caught him off guard. Now he didn't know how to follow up.

"Tch. Whatever. I just wanted to establish contact anyway," Levi muttered under his breath, picking up his pace. "Since he's made his stance clear, Erwin can handle the rest."

Levi didn't want to revisit that awkward moment again.

Shin, meanwhile, turned his attention back to the recruitment base, shaking his head with a small smile. There was no point overthinking it. Right now, his priority was to catch up with the rest of the enlistees and complete the final steps of the selection process.

As expected, the questioning was routine and uneventful. Given his fabricated background and spotless record, the verification went smoothly. After nearly thirty minutes of answering standard questions and confirming basic details, he was cleared.

Outside, two of the other recruits who passed the assessment were waiting for him.

"Hey! Nice to meet you," said a lanky young man with an enthusiastic smile. "I'm Ellis, and this guy's Livington. We're from Shiganshina too. Looks like we'll be in the same training corps."

Shin returned the greeting with a firm handshake. "Shin. Glad to meet you."

The two visibly relaxed. They had been unsure about approaching the young man who had effortlessly aced the physical trial and caught the attention of Levi himself.

But Shin was surprisingly easygoing. That made things easier.

The three quickly fell into a casual conversation. While they weren't close enough to be friends just yet, they began forming the foundations of a comfortable alliance.

Ellis was twenty and the more talkative of the two. Livington, nineteen, was quieter—though not unfriendly. The two were childhood friends who had grown up in the same neighborhood. Their shared dream was to join the Military Police and bring their families into the safety of the inner districts.

Shin respected their choice. He wasn't about to judge them for wanting a peaceful life. Everyone had their reasons.

When they invited him to grab food together, Shin politely declined. "Thanks, but I've got people waiting for me outside."

As he left the base, Shin could feel the excitement and admiration pouring off of Armin and Eren, who rushed to greet him. To them, Shin wasn't just a role model anymore—he was an icon. He had outclassed older, stronger recruits and secured his spot in the army with ease.

"He's amazing," Armin whispered, eyes shining.

"Of course he is! That's our Shin!" Eren grinned with fierce pride.

Even Mikasa seemed slightly shaken. She hadn't seen this side of Shin before. He had always been strong, sure, but never so obviously beyond her reach. Now, watching him stand tall, confident and calm, she couldn't deny a strange sense of frustration—almost envy.

She used to be the strongest among them. The one who protected the others.

Now, it felt like she was the one being left behind.

Karal and Aunt Martha, on the other hand, stood quietly to the side, concern etched into their faces. They still hoped Shin would reconsider joining the Survey Corps, but it was clear his path was already set.

Grisha and Harry, meanwhile, offered him words of advice rather than resistance.

"Don't get cocky," Grisha warned. "You'll be training alongside people from all over the Walls—many of them with political backing. Don't draw attention unless you need to."

"Be smart," Harry added. "Make allies, not enemies."

Shin nodded solemnly. "I understand."

His composed response reassured the adults more than any promise could have. He wasn't rushing in blindly. He had a plan.

In contrast, Eren's reckless enthusiasm stood out like a sore thumb.

"I've decided," Eren declared, puffing out his chest. "I'm going to enlist too! I'll join the Survey Corps, just like Shin!"

Bad move.

Within seconds, Karal was dragging him away by the ear. "Over my dead body! You're learning medicine from your father, and that's final!"

"I won't!" Eren protested, wincing as his ear twisted painfully.

Mikasa looked torn between stepping in to help or letting him suffer.

Harry exchanged a look with Martha, silently thanking the heavens that it was Shin who had grown so quickly, and not Eren.

Shin didn't see the chaos unfolding behind him. By then, he was already on the road.

The journey to the training base in Wall Rose would take two full days. The bumpy carriage ride wasn't pleasant, but it gave him time to think.

Unlike the foundational drills from the initial conscription, the next phase would teach them how to kill—both titans and humans. Shin knew the latter would be the more dangerous threat in the long term.

He had to keep his ambitions close to the chest.

Until he had real power, showing his cards would only make him a target.

Become strong first, he reminded himself. Like Levi. Then climb.

If he could surpass even humanity's strongest soldier, then maybe—just maybe—he could protect what he cared about.

But that was a long way off.

For now, he could only press forward.

By the time their carriage pulled into the rest area at Trost, Shin was more than ready to stretch his legs.

Ellis and Livington rushed off toward the latrines, leaving Shin by himself.

"Finally…" he muttered, spotting a training track nearby. "Let's loosen up."

He walked over, stretched briefly, and began running laps.

The circular track was about 400 meters per lap. After two, he was sweating but not winded. Good. His body had adapted well, and his stamina had clearly improved.

He ran until the restlessness in his chest started to fade.

845...

The year itself felt like a warning. Trouble was coming. And not just from titans.

He had to be ready.

Before long, Ellis and Livington returned. The three headed to the temporary lodging, where they met another group of recruits who had just arrived from the east side of Wall Maria.

Ellis, being Ellis, immediately struck up a conversation and returned with news.

"They're heading to the same base as us," he explained. "I figured we should stick together. We're all from Wall Maria—it's better if we look out for each other."

Shin nodded. "Makes sense."

Livington hesitated before agreeing, clearly still a bit shy.

Soon, the two groups merged, and the mood lightened. Shin learned more about life in other parts of Wall Maria, though most of it wasn't relevant to his goals.

Then came a new development.

One of the eastern recruits, a tall, muscular young man around eighteen, approached him.

"I heard you ranked first in Shiganshina," he said. "Mind sparring with me? Just a friendly match."

Shin scanned his expression and saw nothing but genuine curiosity and challenge.

"Sure," he said with a shrug.

The crowd gathered, whispering. Shin understood their motives well enough—they wanted to see if his reputation matched his strength.

As the other boy charged, attempting to grapple, Shin smoothly sidestepped and slammed a precise punch into his abdomen.

The sound of air leaving lungs filled the quiet.

The boy dropped to the ground, gasping and curled up in pain.

Shin stood tall, relaxed.

He'd pulled his punch.

Still, the crowd's reaction was immediate.

"…That's it?"

"Damn…"

"Wasn't even close."

The message was clear: Shin wasn't just talk.

He was dangerous.

And this was only the beginning.