**Nighttime at the temporary camp set up by the stationed regiment.**
Gazing up at the bright night sky, Kiba suddenly felt the urge for a cigarette, though he wasn't sure if the body's original owner was a smoker.
He wasn't sure if it was due to some spatial interference, but after devouring the soul, the memories in his mind were fragmented, offering little useful information.
"Whatever, let's not dwell on it for now."
Pixis had agreed to his request, but in the end, assigned him a helper.
Hunting Titans was a serious matter, with no room for error, so they arranged for a powerful expert who wouldn't raise any suspicions.
"It's about time." Mikasa suddenly appeared from the shadows, looking somewhat weary.
Though she wasn't great at expressing her emotions, she cared for her comrades. Hearing this truth had inevitably saddened her.
Noticing her low spirits, Kiba felt it was time to use his way with words to offer some encouragement to this Ackerman warrior.
"Worried about the situation?" Kiba flashed a familiar smile, gently pressing his fingers to his brow, and whispered devilishly, "I've always thought Eren might have some special feelings for Annie. I wonder if he'll actually go through with it."
The moment he finished speaking, Kiba saw Mikasa's murderous glare. Her cold expression seemed to warn him that one more word and she'd cut him down.
In that instant, his senses were screaming warnings, and Kiba wisely kept his mouth shut.
Thanks to his "comforting" words, Mikasa was now fully energized, itching to go chop off Annie's head.
Satisfied with the result, Kiba turned his gaze toward the distant bonfire.
Humanity had just won its first victory against the Titans, a momentous occasion that deserved a proper celebration.
It also conveniently got the soldiers out of the camp. If something went wrong, at least they wouldn't all get blown sky-high together.
As for Bertolt, concerned about Reiner and Annie, he wasn't in the mood for any celebrations, especially since the hole in the wall was his doing.
Kiba had considered everything down to the last detail. Now all that was left was the final step—taking down the target.
"After the mission's over, how about a dance with me?"
Mikasa had no interest in answering, and she walked straight into the tent, pulling the curtain aside.
Hearing the conversation outside, Bertolt suppressed his worries, looked up, and addressed his companion who'd just entered, "Jason, you're out of luck. Even if she dances, Mikasa would only do so with Eren."
It was clear to everyone that Mikasa had feelings for Eren. Normally, she'd be quick to deny it, but today, she uncharacteristically remained silent.
Bertolt found it odd, but his attention quickly shifted elsewhere.
Sitting across from his target, Kiba unsheathed his long knife and began to wipe it, casually saying, "What about you, Bertolt? You really want to invite Annie to dance, don't you?"
"Ah, no, I'm not, I don't…"
The young man, caught off guard, stammered out an explanation, insisting they were just fellow countrymen and that their relationship was purely platonic.
But Kiba's next words completely threw him off.
"That's too bad. Annie was thinking of asking you herself. Mikasa heard it too, right?"
As soon as he said that, Bertolt quickly turned around, his eyes burning with hope. "Really, Mikasa? Did Annie really say…"
Suddenly, his words halted because he saw the icy cold glare in his companion's eyes.
And a flash of cold light reflected in her pupils.
Without transforming, the so-called Marleyan warrior was just a slightly stronger ordinary person. A critical blow to a vital spot would put him on the brink of death with one strike.
Maybe he had strong regenerative abilities, but only if the nervous system could relay the "commands" to the rest of the body.
Kiba's strike was both precise and ruthless, severing the spinal cord between the vertebrae. Poor Bertolt instantly lost control of his body.
Watching the young man collapse to the ground, Kiba raised his knife without hesitation, not giving him any chance to beg for mercy.
One strike to wound, the second to kill. The Colossal Titan, with its nuclear-like destructive power, was dead at his hands.
[Killed an important plot character, World Line Distortion increased!]
[You have received a Plot Treasure Chest (Gold)!]
[Hint: Plot character Reiner now views you with hatred.]
[Hint: Plot character Annie now views you with hatred.]
[Hint: Plot character Zeke now views you with hatred.]
**[Faction Reputation System Activated!]**
**[The Marley Faction's attitude toward you has changed to Hostile.]**
**[Legendary Trait (Steel Heart) Activated, +5 to Health Points.]**
A series of notifications bombarded Kiba, but none of them could dampen the fiery gleam in his eyes.
A golden plot treasure chest! While he didn't know the exact standards for it, it had to be far better than a white chest.
As for the hatred from those Marleyan warriors, he'd already killed one of them, so why would he care whether they liked him or not?
Of course, Kiba wasn't the type to enjoy being disliked. If possible, he preferred not to have anyone hate him. But if that couldn't be changed, he'd simply eliminate everyone on the list, and he would still be the popular Jason.
Rubbing his hands together in anticipation, Kiba had no idea just how valuable a golden treasure chest truly was. Nor did he understand that throughout the long history of the Reincarnation Space, very few had ever obtained a golden chest during a trial mission.
The advantage of foresight might be even more extraordinary than he imagined.
As Mikasa mourned in solitude, Kiba wasted no time and chose to open the chest.
With a big battle looming, if he could get one or two suitable pieces of equipment or skills, it would definitely be a huge help in the upcoming action.
**[You are opening a Plot Treasure Chest (Gold)]**
**[You have received 500 Plot Points]**
**[You have received the Colossal Titan Bloodline Serum]**
**[You have received the 3D Maneuver Gear, Improved Version IV]**
**[You have received Gravy Steak x3]**
Each of these items was a treasure that could make anyone's breath quicken.
A full 500 Plot Points—a very generous reward.
Typically, after exhausting oneself in a plot world, the overall reward, excluding hidden missions, wouldn't even reach 400 points.
But with one golden treasure chest, his earnings had more than doubled.
However, compared to the next few items, the Plot Points seemed almost insignificant.
**Colossal Titan Bloodline Serum:** Grade B. After use, grants the trait "Titan Transformation."
As expected, after injecting the serum in front of him, a Reincarnator could transform into a Colossal Titan within the Reincarnation Space.
Just the thought of such a scene was enough to send chills down his spine.
(End of Chapter)