Same Birthday, Same Path

On the last day of equipment maintenance, Ronan finally completed his task. He felt happy, but also a little sad.

He had planned to prepare for the conscription meeting right away, but then the system issued another task—non-mandatory, but still...

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[Enter the Hall]

Mission Objective: Forge a high-quality tool using personal skill.

Reward: Strength +3, Coordination +3, Weapon Mastery +3

Penalty: None

Deadline: 3 months

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"Why am I always dealing with the blacksmith? Don't tell me the system is trying to make me a master forger now," Ronan muttered helplessly.

The more he thought about it, the more it seemed true.

If he had lots of time, this wouldn't be a big deal. But with only about a month left before the conscription meeting, crafting a high-quality tool with his current skills was clearly a tough job.

Luckily, the system didn't specify what kind of tool he had to make. That gave Ronan some freedom to choose.

After all, forging an iron rod is much easier than forging a sword.

Now he was stuck, wondering if he should take on this task. After all, time was running out, and he still had a lot to learn if he wanted to survive and grow stronger.

What he needed most now was a way to deal with giants.

No matter how strong he got, fighting a giant up close was basically impossible.

At least, with his current strength, there was no way he could tear a giant apart with his bare hands...

Thinking about all this, Ronan decided to go with the flow and focus on other things for now.

Uncle Harry, who already knew Ronan planned to join the Survey Corps, had just finished checking Garrison Corps equipment. He arranged for Ronan to work at the blacksmith shop for only half a day, leaving the rest of the time for training.

Ronan thought it over and agreed.

His strength had already improved a lot, and simple weightlifting wasn't helping much anymore.

Not just strength—his endurance, speed, explosive power, and coordination had also gotten much better. How much better? He didn't know for sure since he hadn't done a full test, but Ronan guessed that even three or five normal adults wouldn't be able to hold him down.

If it came to a bare-handed fight, he could probably take on ten.

With help from the system, he would definitely stand out at the conscription.

Ronan had no plans to hide his weaknesses. He believed that only by performing well enough could he get real attention—and more resources than others.

Thanks to all his recent training, Ronan's physical condition had become very solid. Now it was time to focus on sharpening specific skills.

Since battles outside the walls depended mostly on 3D gear and sword fighting, Ronan decided to train with bamboo poles. He didn't manage to get a black gold bamboo sword, but for practice, the bamboo poles worked fine.

So, in an open area near the river at the northwest corner of Shiganshina District, a young man could often be seen early in the morning, holding two thin bamboo poles, practicing his slashing skills. That young man was Ronan.

To those passing by, he looked strange. People often avoided him, thinking he wasn't quite right in the head.

But Ronan didn't care, and he had no plans to explain himself. He didn't know them, and he only cared about mastering his two-sword style.

Being a fan of Zoro, he had tried the three-sword style at first—but it looked way too stupid. Even after boosting his bite strength, the shame was too much. He gave up on that idea and focused on dual wielding instead.

Besides, everyone in the Survey Corps used two swords anyway. No special cases. Ronan figured he'd just go along with the standard.

After a few days, he didn't gain any special sword skills or techniques. But his hand coordination became much better, and his movements got smoother. He didn't know why—it just happened.

He didn't understand it, and he didn't ask. As long as things were going well, he didn't mind.

Time passed. Ronan's movements stayed sharp and steady. He was drenched in sweat. It was freezing cold in January, but wearing only a thin shirt, he didn't feel the cold at all.

His body gave off a kind of heat that made passers-by turn and stare. It was odd to see in this weather.

"There are downsides to being this fit..." Ronan muttered.

Even though he'd used up a lot of energy, he still hadn't reached his limit. He relied on strong willpower to keep moving.

Finally, after another full round of practice, he heard the familiar system sound in his mind.

---

Ding! The host has completed extreme training.

Grip Strength (Both Hands) +1

Left-Right Hand Coordination +1

---

"Hah... hah..."

He took a few deep breaths, picked up his thermos, and drank a few sips of hot water.

Then he turned and saw Eren and Mikasa, who had clearly been waiting for some time.

"What are you two doing here?"

"You forgot again..." Eren said with a sigh. "Since you started working, Brother Ronan, we hardly hang out anymore."

"Didn't we just celebrate New Year together?" Ronan replied.

He remembered that New Year's Eve at Uncle Harry's house. When Eren once again said he wanted to join the Survey Corps, he was immediately hit with a "mixed doubles" attack from his mom and Uncle Harry. Ronan couldn't help but laugh.

Who would've guessed that this same Eren—who would one day release the giants in the walls and start the Rumbling—was once just a kid constantly being scolded?

"Okay, let's not talk about that anymore," Eren said. "Let's go. Today's your birthday. Mom, Dad, and Uncle Harry are already at your house. You're the only one missing."

Mikasa, quiet until now, nodded. "Brother Ronan, everyone's been waiting for you."

"Alright, let's head back."

Ronan put on his coat and walked home with Eren and Mikasa. A strange feeling stirred in his heart.

"We have the same birthday... maybe that really is fate."