Chapter 95: The Survey Corps (Part 3)

"I'll go check it out," Levi said as he watched the second red smoke flare shoot into the sky. After giving a quick update to Erwin, he turned his horse and raced towards the rising smoke.

Erwin's face turned serious as he watched the red flare shoot straight up into the air. He knew the significance of red smoke flares, but seeing them fired directly upwards was unprecedented, especially in quick succession. After Levi departed, a third and fourth red flare also appeared.

"Erwin, what's happening?" A Survey Corps member wearing glasses rode up, none other than Hange, the Corps' mad scientist.

"I'm not sure. Levi has gone to check it out. There might be something significant," Erwin replied, glancing at the source of the flares with a glint in his eye. If they weren't in the middle of an escape, he would have gone to investigate himself.

For the Survey Corps, anomalies usually signaled good news. The worst scenario was nothing out of the ordinary, as it meant they learned nothing. Anomalies, however, hinted at new possibilities.

"Isa, what are you doing? Why aren't you moving forward?" Levi arrived at the far left flank, seeing his two subordinates halted in place. His gaze turned icy.

During expeditions outside the walls, staying still was the worst thing a Scout could do, as it attracted Titans and hindered escape. Erwin's long-distance scouting formation was designed to minimize such risks. Falling back generally left Levi's squad with the heaviest burden, tasked with slaying Titans breaching their ranks. Levi himself was responsible for taking down the Abnormals.

Even within the Survey Corps, few could quickly dispatch Abnormals, with Levi being the foremost among them. Despite his short stature, Levi's strength was unparalleled. The Corps' ability to extend their search area was largely thanks to him.

"Captain, there's smoke," the female soldier named Isa pointed towards the forest, shouting loudly. Her male companion also called out.

"Smoke," Levi looked towards the forest. Though the smoke was faint now, it had the distinct shape of chimney smoke. Seeing this, Levi, usually composed, couldn't help but frown.

"Keep moving forward. I'll check it out," Levi commanded, riding towards the forest.

"Captain Levi, we'll go with you," Isa and her companion urged, catching up to him on their horses.

"No. Report to Erwin and continue the mission. I'll catch up soon," Levi shook his head, noting their exhaustion. They had already expended much energy fighting Titans, and their blades and gas were nearly depleted. Encountering Titans in their current state would be fatal.

"But Captain, there might be valuable information there," Isa insisted.

"I know, but if you're dead, it means nothing. Go, that's an order," Levi said sternly, glaring at them before riding off.

"Damn that guy," Levi muttered to himself as he drew the attention of several nearby Titans. Seeing them rush towards him, he activated his ODM gear and began to slay the surrounding Titans.

Taking on multiple Titans alone on open plains without suitable terrain for ODM gear was a feat only Levi could achieve in the Corps. His exceptional abilities had caught Erwin's eye, leading to his recruitment into the Survey Corps.

"Can't even have a quiet meal in this world," Daniel Davis (沈飞) mused, sitting on a broad branch of a giant tree in the forest. He ate his cooked meal, observing the Titans wandering below. 

Whenever he wanted to eat, he had to find a giant tree for safety. Marley had exiled countless Titans to the island over the centuries, so Titans could be seen almost everywhere.

Although this was deep within Wall Maria, which had a single access route, many Titans had still entered over the years. These Pure Titans, all former Eldians, seemed instinctively drawn towards the walls, perhaps sensing their kin or their homeland. Even Titans with physical disabilities slowly crawled towards the walls.

"I need to get that mirror space operational soon. This situation isn't sustainable," Daniel sighed after finishing his meal and packing up his utensils.

"Hmm, someone's coming," Daniel noticed a figure flashing in the distance. Reacting swiftly, he drew a miniaturized wand with his left hand and reached for a shrunken handgun with his right, both reduced by Pym Particles.

Even though he couldn't use spatial magic, Daniel had Pym Particles. Extracted from the Space Stone, these particles allowed him to shrink his wand and handgun. Though the power of a shrunken wand was greatly diminished, if not for this, he could have wielded it like a finger ring for wandless casting, making it a perfect stealth weapon. Unfortunately, the reduced power rendered it ineffective for serious combat, much like the shrunken handgun.

"ODM gear... from the Survey Corps?" Daniel pondered, recognizing the approaching figure.

With Wall Maria breached, the only people venturing beyond the walls were the Survey Corps. The Garrison and Military Police would never take such risks.

"Interesting equipment, but only useful in this world. Maybe I could design a game based on it," Daniel thought, watching the soldier swiftly navigate the trees with their gear.

Marvel had similar tech, like Ada Wong's grappling gun, though without the gas propulsion for flight.

"Impressive reflexes and speed. The physical prowess in this world isn't bad," Daniel mused, noting how the soldier maneuvered through the forest. Good reactions were essential to avoid crashing into obstacles.

The soldier soon landed on a branch opposite Daniel. It was Levi, covered in Titan blood but undeterred, staring intently at Daniel.

"A human," Levi's eyes narrowed as he scrutinized Daniel. Without ODM gear, this stranger's attire and calm demeanor made Levi wary.

In the mountains, encountering survivors was expected. After Wall Maria fell, many couldn't escape to the inner walls and were sent to reclaim Wall Maria. This mission was a death sentence, intended to conserve food by sending them to be killed by Titans. Some had fled during the chaos, choosing to survive in the mountains where there were fewer Titans and more food sources. However, few could actually survive there long-term.

"Levi, Captain of the Survey Corps," Daniel deduced the soldier's identity. The short stature and the Survey Corps uniform were dead giveaways. Levi, often joked as "1.6 meters tall Captain."

"Who are you?" Levi demanded after scanning the Titans below.

"I'm a traveler. I didn't expect Paradis Island to turn out like this after all these years," Daniel replied after some thought.

Deciding to reveal everything, Daniel felt it was better to inform the Survey Corps about the Titans' origins to save them from further futile sacrifices.

The conflict between the island and the mainland was a racial war. While Daniel didn't want to participate in the fighting, he had no qualms about causing trouble for Marley, whose actions he deeply disapproved of. Stirring things up for Marley would be a bonus.

Marley was a militaristic nation. Their treatment of Eldians, like brainwashing children into soldiers and the brutal fate of Eren's father's sister, was abhorrent to Daniel.

In contrast, he held a certain admiration for some on Paradis Island, like Levi, Commander Pixis, and Sasha. They seemed more deserving of empathy than the island's later regime under Eren.

"Paradis Island? Do you know the origin of the Titans?" Levi pressed, eyes fixed on Daniel.

"Yes. And I know who you are—the cursed descendants of Eldia," Daniel said, deciding to reveal everything.

Levi remained silent, then began slaying the Titans below. Daniel watched quietly. Over his time in this world, Daniel had learned to fight Titans without using his Devil Fruit powers or magic. The Titans' weak spot wasn't just their nape; firearms could be effective too.

His Desert Eagle could kill Titans with a few well-placed shots to the nape. Modern guns were ineffective only because they lacked sufficient power.

"Captain," Levi's squad arrived as he finished off the last Titan and leaned against a tree to catch his breath.

"Who is he?" The newcomers looked at Daniel in shock.

"He has information about the Titans. We're taking him to Erwin," Levi commanded.

"What?" They stared at Daniel, then quickly surrounded him.

"Are we doing this the hard way?" Daniel scanned the Survey Corps members around him. He didn't resist, willing to meet Erwin and share what he knew. However, he didn't like being handled roughly. If it had been a woman, he might have been more agreeable.

"Don't worry. I'll come along," Daniel reassured, surprising the group as he moved through the trees without ODM gear. In a forest, he could leap from tree to tree with ease, matching the speed of those using ODM gear.

Once they exited the forest, Daniel mounted an extra horse brought by the squad. To ensure his safety, they kept him close to Levi, with the rest of the squad forming a protective circle around them, wary of any threats.

"You know about the Titans," Erwin said as he approached Daniel in a secluded camp. Having learned about the encounter from Levi's squad, he was eager and approached Daniel with a mix of excitement and seriousness.

For Erwin, uncovering the truth about the Titans and the world outside the walls was his lifelong goal. Despite the heavy losses suffered by the Survey Corps, he never gave up, ultimately sacrificing his life in a charge against the Beast Titan.

"What are Titans, really?" Hange, more impatient than Erwin, would have rushed over if not for Levi holding her back.

"Titans are actually humans, just like you—Eldians," Daniel explained calmly.

"How is that possible?" The revelation shocked the nearby squad leaders, including Erwin and Levi. Hange, however, seemed more intrigued than surprised.

"Humans? Are you saying I've been

 killing humans all this time?" Even Levi, usually composed, was visibly angered.

"Calm down, Levi," Erwin quickly regained his composure.

"What evidence do you have?"

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