The lecture ended an hour later.
Everyone looked at Keith, thinking it was quite impressive that he had been yelling for an entire hour without his throat going hoarse.
"Dismissed. Training officially begins tomorrow."
With his command, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and simultaneously slammed their right fists against their chests.
"Yes, sir."
Swish.
The formation broke up, and everyone returned to their assigned dormitories. Since most were unfamiliar with each other, after brief introductions, there was not much more conversation.
Rayan, after entering and changing out of the Trainee Squad uniform into rough common clothes, left the dormitory and wandered around nearby.
His expression was somewhat tired, but beneath the fatigue lay the pain of helplessness.
Closing his eyes, he could still see those people dying tragically under the titans. He had promised he would take them home, but in reality, he could not even protect himself. Let alone others.
The fact that he had returned alive was already a kind of miracle. If it were not for that ability...
However, it was precisely because of this experience that he had figured out some things. Some important things, some future arrangements and plans.
First of all, joining the Trainee Squad was a must. Rayan kicked a small stone on the roadside, his eyes unfocused, completely in a daze.
He had to build good relationships with the main trio. They were key to future battles. He himself also needed combat training, at least to skillfully master the use of the vertical maneuvering equipment.
Rayan was self-aware. He was not a combat genius. In terms of swordsmanship, he definitely could not compare to Levi, Mikasa, or others. In fact, he estimated that even if he trained hard for three years, he probably still would not be as good as Jean in combat skills.
This was not a subjective judgment but an objective fact.
Many transmigrators were ordinary people before transmigrating, and suddenly becoming geniuses after crossing over was unrealistic. Talent was something... hard to say. But could a lazy person suddenly become more diligent than everyone else?
Could a modern person who could not even do a few pull-ups suddenly endure hours of physical training every day after transmigrating?
In short, Rayan could not do it.
Therefore, he did not demand that his individual combat ability be outstanding. Moreover, in this world...
"Hey."
A voice suddenly sounded from behind. Rayan came back to his senses, turned his head, and saw the Eren trio walking towards him.
It was Eren who had spoken. He walked up first and said, "Hello, I am Eren Yeager."
"Rayan Kafka. Hello."
"Um... what are you doing here by yourself?" Eren asked curiously.
"Taking a walk."
"Oh... oh..."
Rayan's attitude was neither enthusiastic nor cold, which made Eren feel a little awkward. Armin, who was next to him, said, "Rayan, I am Armin. We saw your hair and eyes... they look a lot like our friend's." As he spoke, he looked at Mikasa, who nodded slightly.
"Because Mikasa is an Easterner, you..."
"I am not," Rayan said calmly.
"Uh... okay." Armin scratched his head, a little surprised. After all, everyone on the island with black hair and black eyes was usually an Easterner. He did not know of any other race with these features.
Rayan knew that the main trio were basically lawful good. Befriending them did not require flattering or scheming, just normal interaction would suffice.
"Hey, Rayan, let me ask you, what do you want to do in the future?" Eren suddenly asked, his eyes shining with anticipation.
"Obtain freedom, I guess."
"Freedom?" Eren was taken aback, then explained according to his own understanding, "That means driving out all the titans. That is right. Drive out all the titans, and then we can be free." As he spoke, he clenched his fists, remembered something, and said with disgust, "It is good that you are not like that guy Jean, wanting to go to the Military Police to enjoy a comfortable life. That is his goal."
"Eren..."
Armin, standing beside him, reminded him somewhat awkwardly. After all, it was not very nice to badmouth someone else to a newcomer.
"What is wrong, Armin? That is what I think. If everyone goes to the Military Police, who will go and fight the titans?"
He was right. If everyone joined the Military Police, the Survey Corps would soon be wiped out, and humanity would perish even faster.
However, this was also an unreasonable assumption.
The Military Police was so prestigious that everyone wanted to join, but how many could actually make it? Only the top ten graduates with the best final scores had guaranteed admission. Everyone else had to slowly work their way up. Therefore, most people could not get in and would have to join the Garrison Regiment or the Survey Corps.
So Eren's words were simply said in anger. Moreover, everyone had the right to choose their own path. The current Eren was still young and had personally witnessed his mother being killed, so it was not surprising that his mind was clouded by hatred. He would likely have a negative attitude towards anyone who did not want to fight the titans. Not exactly hatred, but definitely dislike.
Compared to him, Armin and Mikasa were much calmer. There was some truth to the saying "you can tell a tree by its sapling." At least the current Armin could see the bigger picture and did not constantly harp on hatred. After all, his grandfather had also just died during the Wall Maria Reclamation Operation.
As for Mikasa, Rayan's gaze lingered for half a second on the red scarf wrapped around her neck.
Ever since Eren tied that scarf around her, she had regarded him as the most important person. In Rayan's opinion, she lived a very tiring life, focusing all her conscious awareness on Eren. Of course, she herself did not realize it and even enjoyed it, so Rayan would not interfere or say anything.
After all, in this extremely dangerous world, it was good to have someone you could trust wholeheartedly.
As for what Rayan thought, what mattered most to him was not which girl was the prettiest or cutest, but how to ensure his own survival.
"Dong dong."
The bell rang, signaling that it was time for dinner. They did not say much more and headed toward the dining hall.
Passing by the training grounds, they could still see a girl with a ponytail running laps. Potato Girl Sasha. Because she had been caught eating during Instructor Keith's lecture, she was punished to run laps. And for a foodie, the cruelest punishment was undoubtedly missing dinner. The air of despair emanating from her could be felt even from dozens of meters away.
Entering the dining hall, food had already been laid out on the tables.
There was nothing special, just the most common bread and soup of this world. Although it was not very tasty, the quantity was just enough to fill everyone up. After all, as training soldiers, their daily physical exertion was very high, and they could not go without a full stomach.
Eren and his friends sat down. Eren had originally wanted Rayan to join them at their table, but as soon as they sat down, many others rushed over to squeeze in, and there was not much space left, so they gave up on the idea.
The reason was simple. They knew the three of them were from Shiganshina District inside Wall Maria and had seen what it was like when the titans broke through the wall. Naturally, everyone was curious and wanted to ask about it.
As for Rayan, he just casually found a seat, started eating, and listened quietly to the surrounding discussions.
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