"That's the wall, meaning this side is inside the island, and over there is outside," Daniel Davis murmured, standing on his flying skateboard and surveying the distant landscape through his binoculars.
"It's too far to see clearly what's over there. I might as well head towards the inner part of the island first," he decided. Daniel steered his flying skateboard towards the island's interior. Although the skateboard wasn't as fast as the Iron Man suit, which had its own integrated systems despite the lack of satellites, the suit's capabilities were severely limited without external support. Daniel chose not to use the Iron Man suit because, in combat against Titans, it was less advantageous than his personal abilities.
"This island is huge. Without these Titans, it could be a wonderful place," Daniel thought as he observed the vast landscape. The island, spanning roughly 700,000 to 800,000 square kilometers, consisted mostly of plains and forests with few mountainous areas. Without Titans, it would be an idyllic paradise.
The island also had significant underground resources, making it a coveted prize for external nations. The Marleyans aimed to conquer it not just for the Titans' power but also for its resources. With technological advancements, the limitations of Titans became apparent, and the Marleyan leaders weren't fools.
"Everything revolves around resources," Daniel mused. Even without the Titans, Marley would still aim to take the island. If the inhabitants had comparable strength, Marley might opt for trade, but with a significant power imbalance, conquest was simpler.
It reminded Daniel of the Marvel world's East Slav Republic. While the country had achieved peace and elected its own president, it was clear he was merely a puppet. The regions with discovered oil reserves had already been divided among foreign powers.
East Slav's only benefit was providing cheap labor for the newly established oil factories. Although it was a humiliating situation, the nation was finally at peace, sparing the common folk from the fear of sudden massacres.
"Unresolvable conflicts. It seems like the only end to their struggle is the extinction of one side," Daniel sighed as he sat on a giant tree in a forest, using his Op-Op Fruit ability to cut up a freshly hunted elk and place it in a hotpot.
This elk was one of many animals he encountered on the island. Despite the presence of Titans, wildlife thrived, with wolves, boars, bears, tigers, and even lions roaming freely. Titans only targeted humans, leaving the animal population to flourish.
Without Titans, this place would be a hunter's paradise. Hunting was a pastime for the wealthy, and Tony Stark once enjoyed it—although his quarry was beautiful women, not wild animals.
The island also abounded with plants and herbs. Initially, Daniel could have quickly flown to the walls, but he slowed down to collect valuable resources, realizing the island wasn't as barren as he first thought. He found nearly ten ginseng plants over a hundred years old, some even centuries old, though none a millennium old. This discovery changed his view of the island's usefulness; these herbs alone made it worth considering for his plans.
Oil and natural gas were impractical to take, but herbs were always valuable. Even centuries-old ginseng had its uses for him.
"Before my dimensional travels, the Attack on Titan series hadn't ended. Eren and his group had just wiped out the Titans on the island and were starting to target Marley."
After enjoying his elk hotpot, Daniel began packing up his supplies. He hadn't yet established a mirror dimension in this world, so he relied on Pym particle-based equipment, including a refrigerator. He had modified this with an Arc Reactor to provide long-term power.
Since acquiring the Arc Reactor, Daniel had been gradually upgrading all his portable appliances to be Arc Reactor-powered. Each world's differing conditions meant that Pym Particles remained reliable while Apparition and the Undetectable Extension Charm weren't. These two spells required a mirror dimension to function.
"Interestingly, it seems like if I only practice Apparition and the Undetectable Extension Charm long enough, they might work independently. Is this another way to create a mirror dimension?" Daniel pondered this as he experimented with opening the mirror dimension. He discovered that prolonged practice with these spells could yield unexpected results.
"Is this what they call the world's recognition?" Most world consciousnesses lack intelligence, unlike dimensional spaces like Dormammu's Dark Dimension, which has a singular consciousness. These unintelligent world consciousnesses don't care about outsiders; if you stay long enough, you become part of the world. No one, not even Dormammu, can destroy an entire world; he can only pull planets like Earth into his dimension.
"It seems it's already begun," Daniel thought as he landed on the wall, observing the sparse Titans wandering inside. From the state of the buildings' collapse and the fading bloodstains, he inferred that the wall had been breached for some time.
Daniel had considered rushing to help Eren and potentially save his mother before the wall was breached, but he abandoned the idea. It wasn't because he cared about maintaining the storyline—he wasn't some reincarnator concerned with preserving a plot. He simply wasn't a savior. Marley breaching the walls killed many, but Eren's subsequent attacks on Marley also caused significant civilian casualties.
This conflict was a war between two races, not his own, and he had no interest in intervening.
"What would happen if I destroyed these walls and released the Titans inside? It's strange that the walls were built with fifty-meter Titans, yet such large Titans are rare now."
Each of the three walls spanned roughly a hundred kilometers apart, meaning an enormous number of colossal Titans were needed. Yet, the current Titans, including the Colossal Titans, rarely exceeded fifteen meters. The fifty-meter Titans seemed absent.
"Were they artificially created? No wonder Eldia was so powerful. In a pre-gunpowder era without superpowers, how could humans possibly fight such monsters?"
The idea of dismantling the walls to release the Titans was merely a passing thought. Daniel had no intention of causing such chaos.
"This guy must have been greedy for treasure. Humans truly die for wealth," Daniel observed a large stash of gold and jewels scattered in a blood-stained area through his binoculars. It appeared someone had tried to escape with their riches but fell victim to the Titans.
"I wonder what the current timeline is. Have Eren and his friends graduated yet? It's like a trio—Harry, Ron, and Hermione in Harry's world, and Eren, Armin, and Mikasa here."
"Tonight's dinner is tiger meat. If I did this in the Marvel world, animal rights activists would have my head," Daniel chuckled. He had used his Op-Op Fruit powers to neatly dispatch a tiger, preserving its pelt.
For dealing with animals, Daniel often used his Op-Op Fruit, avoiding its use on humans unless necessary. This approach yielded a pristine tiger pelt and other valuable parts.
In a dense forest within Wall Maria, Daniel pondered his next move. He hadn't yet decided how to breach the second wall's defenses, so he took his time exploring.
"Commander Erwin, we can't hold them back any longer," a soldier in a green cloak, bearing the shield emblem of the Survey Corps, cried out. The group was surrounded by Titans.
The island's three military branches—Garrison, Military Police, and Survey Corps—highlighted humanity's enduring desire for freedom. Despite the royal family's brainwashing, many people refused to accept their fate. Though some were content with their lives, others were determined to challenge the status quo, no matter the cost.
The Survey Corps was initially opposed by the island's royal family, who feared revealing the truth about the world outside. Despite the Founding Titan's power to alter memories, the King couldn't suppress the growing desire for exploration. When enough people demanded to know what lay beyond the walls, the Survey Corps was formed.
At first, the royal family tried to capture and kill those wishing to explore, but as their numbers grew, they could no longer be contained. The royal family eventually had to install a gate in the wall, as completely sealing it off would have led people to forcefully create their own exit, exposing the Titans within the walls.
The King allowed the formation of the Survey Corps, confident that ordinary humans couldn't defeat the Titans. He believed that heavy losses would eventually make people realize the walls were their only protection.
Initially, the King's plan worked. The early Survey Corps, armed only with old rifles and lacking knowledge of Titans' weaknesses, suffered tremendous casualties.
However, the King underestimated human resolve. Despite the losses, the Survey Corps persisted, gradually uncovering the Titans' vulnerabilities.
Scientists within the walls also began developing better weapons and tactics against the Titans, leading to the creation of the vertical maneuvering equipment. By the time the royal family tried to halt this progress, it was too late. The gear had revolutionized Titan combat.
To reverse this progress, the King would have to gather everyone for another memory wipe—a feat nearly impossible with the current population far surpassing the initial settlers.
Commander Erwin Smith surveyed the battlefield, his hands clenching so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, drawing blood. The Survey Corps had learned much about the Titans, but their expeditions yielded little else. With Wall Maria overrun, they couldn't even reach the territories beyond the wall, now teeming with Titans.
"Erwin, we're losing too many men. We need to retreat," urged Levi Ackerman, the compact but fierce squad leader, covered in blood and panting heavily as he rode up.
"Retreat," Erwin ordered, despite his reluctance. They had barely left the safety of the walls before needing to fall back. However, continuing the fight would only lead to more deaths. After a moment of hesitation, he gave the command.
With the retreat order, the rear guard moved to lure the Titans away, sacrificing themselves to allow the others to escape. Each retreat involved such
a sacrifice, and those who stayed behind rarely returned.
"Retreat!" shouted Erwin, his voice carrying over the battlefield as signal flares lit up the sky to direct the retreat.
"What's that?" one of the Survey Corps members on the left flank, responsible for scouting, pointed towards a plume of black smoke rising from the nearby forest.
"Smoke? How is that possible?" her comrade exclaimed, equally shocked. After a moment of hesitation, he fired a signal flare into the sky.
"A red flare at this time? What's going on?" Levi and Erwin quickly noticed the signal from their position in the center of the formation. Due to the long-range scouting formation, they couldn't see the smoke from their vantage point.
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"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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