LOGINLia's POVLia left the base shortly after the nightly reports had concluded.There was nothing official preventing her from leaving, nor was there any reason for anyone to question her. Her movements within the Corps were always considered part of reconnaissance and investigative operations, especially after what had happened during the last mission.The air outside the Walls was colder than usual.Behind her, the city gradually sank into the stillness of the night, but Lia never slowed down.She continued walking until she reached the small house she rented on the outskirts of the inner district.The place was simple.A single room.A narrow window.And only the essential furniture.Nothing suggested she had lived there for long, and nothing tied her to the place beyond necessity.She had chosen it specifically to avoid attracting attention.She closed the door behind her without looking back.Then she stopped in the middle of the room.Walking over to the small table, she placed her
Lia's POVThey returned with the first light of dawn, encountering nothing on the way back.The forest that had been a battlefield only hours earlier now stood silent, as though everything that had happened there had been nothing more than a passing disturbance. The evidence of the battle remained scattered across the ground—broken tree trunks, bloodstains that had yet to dry, and pieces of abandoned equipment left behind by soldiers who never returned.No one spoke during the journey.Leonard walked at the front with steady steps despite the exhaustion written across his body and the damage to his uniform. Behind him, the remaining members of the squad followed in silence. Their numbers had been noticeably reduced. Some dragged themselves forward despite their injuries, while others carried nothing but a heavy silence.Lia walked near the middle of the formation.Her expression had not changed since the mission began. The same calmness. The same focus. Yet her eyes constantly scanned
The night passed after the first chaotic hours of the battle.The campfires had grown smaller. The firewood was running low, and the soldiers took turns standing guard without exchanging more than a few words. The bodies had been buried near the edge of the rocky area as quickly as possible, without ceremonies or pauses.Their numbers were smaller now.The survivors were scattered around the fire. Some sat in silence, some lay down, and others tried to sleep despite their exhaustion.Lia had remained beside the same rock for a long time.Her back rested against it, one knee drawn up, a metal canteen held loosely in her hands. She wasn't drinking anymore.Her eyes drifted between the flames and the darkness.No conversation.No unnecessary movement.Eileen had fallen asleep beside her. Her head rested against her knee, and a blanket covered half of her body. Her breathing was slow and steady.On the opposite side of the camp, Leonard stood at the edge of the firelight. He watched the f
The crimson eyes remained fixed within the darkness as the mana surrounding the area surged to a suffocating level, making even breathing feel heavier.Leonard immediately tightened his grip on his sword."Fall back."But Lia didn't move.She stared silently at the figure, trying to make out its true form among the towering trees.Then it moved.Just one step.The ground trembled beneath their feet.The earth split apart near the tree trunks, dried leaves rained down from above, and a deep, thunderous sound echoed through the forest.Leonard clenched his jaw."That's not an ordinary Titan."Lia didn't answer.Because she felt something far worse.That pressure...It wasn't coming from its body alone.It was coming from its core.An enormous core.Complex.Completely alive.Then another explosion erupted from the direction of the camp.This time, unmistakable screams followed.Leonard reacted immediately.The grappling hooks from his maneuver gear shot toward the trees, but he stopped
Lia's footsteps gradually disappeared among the trees, while the light of the camp behind her grew weaker and weaker.The air inside the forest was colder away from the fires.The smell of blood still lingered in the air, mixed with the scent of damp wood and burnt energy coming from the Pattern Modifiers that had been heavily used during the battle.Lia walked quietly without using her maneuvering equipment.Her eyes moved silently between the trees.That thing was still there.She could feel it clearly.It was following her.But it was not approaching.She finally stopped beside the trunk of a massive tree and raised her gaze toward the darkness ahead."Are you only going to watch?"Silence followed.The wind passed quietly through the branches.Then—Slow footsteps sounded from behind her.Lia did not turn immediately.Only one presence.No... not human.The mana surrounding it was clearly distorted.She finally turned around.And the giant appeared.But this time, it was not as en
The ground shook even more violently this time.The trees deep within the forest began falling one after another, while the sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the woods, causing the soldiers to freeze for a brief moment.Leonard tightened his grip on his sword."Defensive formation! Move!"The corps members reacted immediately despite the chaos, but the tension was obvious on every face. Some were still gasping from the previous battle, while others hurried to stop their bleeding before the new threat arrived.The power units on their backs ignited with flickering blue light.The Pattern Modifier activated.The metallic bracelet attached to their wrists glowed faintly, while the transparent energy lines extending toward the collar around their necks began pulsing faster.Their perception of the world slowed for a few moments.Movement paths appeared among the trees and shadows.Then—The giant finally emerged from the heart of the forest.Silence fell for a full second.It was la
Everyone had left for the gift presentation hall, so Alfred had no choice but to quickly change his clothes and follow them… … The hall was extremely large, its ceiling supported by carved jade pillars. In the center stood a statue of a very beautiful woman holding a jar in her hand; she was th
Lia woke up to a strange sensation…Something inside her had awakened……She slowly opened her eyes.The ceiling was different.The walls were different.Even the air… felt heavier.She sat up slowly, her fingers tightening around the blankets unconsciously.Before she could process where she was—
Lia heard a masculine voice while she slept, but she couldn’t open her eyes.“Why is she sleeping for so long? Wasn’t she supposed to wake up within a few hours?” the first voice asked.“S-Sir… since the cause was a mental breakdown, and at such a young age, it may take longer.”“I’m fine… what men
The first day passed with agonizing slowness...Lia sat in the corner of the room, hugging her knees to her chest while the sound of her empty stomach echoed through the eerie silence. She tried to ignore the pain... but hunger was not something that could simply be ignored.By the second day, she







