The sky had never looked redder.
Lucien stood in the middle of the cobblestone street, staring up at the thick smoke spiraling into the heavens. Screams tore through the district as the Wall—Wall Maria—bled rubble, flame, and dust. The air was filled with panic, running feet, the metallic stench of blood, and the acrid smell of burning homes.
He blinked once.
Not because of fear. But because this was the exact scene he'd watched—on a damn laptop, surrounded by half-eaten ramen bowls, thinking how badass it looked when the Colossal Titan first kicked in the gates.
Now it was in front of him.
Flesh. Smoke. Hell.
"This isn't a dream."
A wave of vertigo slammed him, yet his knees held firm. Kids were crying. A woman screamed behind him, dragged by a broken leg. Horses shrieked. Blood sprayed across a wall not five feet away as a man was crushed by falling stone.
"You. Move."
A firm hand shoved Lucien, and he turned, seeing a garrison soldier already missing half his gear sprinting past. The panic on the man's face was real. Human. Terrified.
Lucien clenched his jaw.
No. I can't lose myself here. Not now.
[SYSTEM BOOTING…]
Welcome, Lucien Arkwright
CLASS: Weapon Master
STATUS: LVL 1
Mastery Access: All Weapons — [LOCKED at 0.01%]
Stat Points: [10 Unassigned]
Perks: [None]
Quests: [Survive Shiganshina]
Reward: +1 Level | Random Weapon Box | Unlock Skill Tree
His lips curled. A smirk. Half-insane, half-thrilled.
"So this is real."
Something inside him buzzed. Not fear. But electricity. The system's interface hovered in a ghostly-blue layer only he could see. The chaos around him faded slightly as his mind focused—clear, unnaturally so.
He was no longer a spectator.
Lucien Arkwright was in the game now.
He sprinted.
Not away from the gate. But toward it.
Past mothers shielding children. Past a man weeping over his son's crushed body. Past the alley where a young Eren Jaeger cried out for his mother as the debris of their home swallowed her broken legs.
Lucien saw it—the scene—and he paused.
That's Eren. Right there. His mom's about to get—
The sky cracked.
A twenty-meter Titan loomed over the rooftops. Naked. Grotesque. Its eyes lacked thought. Its mouth gaped like a mindless infant. And Lucien watched it reach down. Slowly. Inevitable.
He couldn't move.
I could help. But if I draw attention… if I interfere too early—
Crunch.
The blood splatter hit the street. Eren's scream was louder than thunder. And Lucien stood, fists clenched.
This is the world I'm in now. Either I walk away and play it safe… or I start rewriting fate.
[QUEST UPDATED]
Optional Objective: Save Civilians
Reward: +3 Stat Points | Trait Unlock (Compassionate Hero)
He cursed under his breath. "Fucking system…"
And moved.
Not to save Carla Jaeger—her fate was sealed—but to the alley behind the market, where two kids huddled under a cart, sobbing. A minor event in canon. A blink. Background noise. Not this time.
Lucien pulled the cart back with both arms.
"Get out of here!" he snarled. "Run to the inner gate!"
They stared at him like he was a god—and ran.
Good. That's enough. For now.
As the evacuation bell rang in the distance and garrison troops barely held a line against the incoming Titans, Lucien ducked into an armory.
Blood pooled under the door. The clerk inside had blown his brains out with a rifle.
Lucien stepped over the corpse.
His silver eyes glowed faintly.
Weapon Master, huh? Time to test it.
He grabbed the first blade—a dull old infantry saber—and held it.
[WEAPON EQUIPPED: INFANTRY SABER]
Mastery Level: 0.02% → 4.2%
Skill Learned: Basic Blade Flow
Passive Unlocked: Weapon Synchronization Tier 1
Lucien's breath caught. His muscles remembered things he hadn't done. The weight. The balance. The perfect grip. He twirled it once. Smooth. Natural. Alive.
So that's how it feels to learn anything instantly…
But he needed more.
He grabbed dual blades, a spear, a handaxe, a rifle, even an old ceremonial halberd. The room spun. Data, instincts, reflexes flooded his brain.
[WEAPON MASTERY UPDATED: MULTIPLE TYPES DETECTED]
Mastery Tree Expanded
Perk Gained: Versatile Death (LVL 1)
Stat Boost: +2 STR | +1 AGI | +3 PER
By the time he left the armory, he looked like a fallen prince walking from a battlefield.
Silver hair wind-tossed. His body lean, shirt ripped at the side, exposing a carved, scarless torso. Blood smeared across his jaw. In his eyes: cold light.
That was when Mikasa Ackerman saw him.
She stood by the garrison checkpoint near the gates, holding Eren's wrist. Armin was shouting something about waiting for help. But Mikasa… her eyes were locked.
Not on the Titan. Not on the destruction.
But on him.
Lucien met her gaze. He didn't smile. He merely nodded once.
Something in that look—
A threat to monsters. A promise to her.
Later, on the evacuation boat, Armin gasped. "Who was that guy? He fought two Titans with just blades… he was bleeding but still laughing—did you see that?!"
Mikasa didn't answer.
Her hand, usually still, had clenched just slightly in her lap. She stared out at the walls receding behind them, where death ruled and fire burned.
She whispered to herself.
"Lucien…"
[QUEST COMPLETE: SURVIVE SHIGANSHINA]
LEVEL UP! → LVL 2
Reward Claimed: Random Weapon Box [OPEN]
Item Gained: Chain Whip (Blacksteel) — Unique Grade
Skill Unlocked: Whiplash Phantom Dance (LVL 1)
Stat Points: +6
New Feature: Skill Branch Unlocked
As the boat rocked gently beneath the setting sun, Lucien leaned against the railing, his body aching, his eyes narrowed.
But in his mind, only one thought echoed:
This world eats the weak.
Then I will become the monster that devours monsters.
And Mikasa… she'll never die. Not on my watch.