Chapter 12 The Death of the Aberration and the Selfish Merchant

It had to be said, the aberrant titan was indeed incredibly fast. Even the elite troops of the garrison, though pushing themselves to their absolute limits, could only just manage to keep pace with it, and even that was an accomplishment. Though Sikong Xu and Mikasa were significantly faster than these so-called elites, it still took some time for them to catch up to the aberrant.

This left Sikong Xu deeply anxious. After all, there were still many residents at the rear of the battlefield who hadn't managed to reach safety. In the original story, Mikasa had managed to catch up in time and kill the aberrant, but Sikong Xu couldn't guarantee everything would unfold as it had in the original after his arrival. Besides, as long as he killed this aberrant, his first main mission would finally be complete.

"Mikasa, pick up the pace!" With this thought, Sikong Xu no longer cared about the massive gas consumption of his maneuver gear.

At that moment, Sikong Xu resembled a nimble Spider-Man, swinging swiftly between rooftops with his cables. Sometimes, to speed up, he would push off the ground hard with his feet upon landing.

Swish! With one more long swing, Sikong Xu was now less than ten meters from the aberrant—close enough for his cable to shoot straight into the titan's body.

"If you people want to live, get this out of the way!"

Not far ahead, a dramatic scene was unfolding. The only route for the residents to escape was completely blocked by a noble's cargo and carriage. Naturally, this infuriated the crowd, but even when they called soldiers to help, it was useless—ordinary soldiers dared not defy the nobles.

"Titan!"

"A titan's coming! Run!"

Instantly, panic erupted. Everyone surged toward the single escape route, now jammed by the massive luggage and carriage.

"Get this out, unless you want to die!" Even in the face of a deadly crisis, these merchant nobles were so greedy that they insisted on saving their cargo.

The result was a deadly crush; the door ahead was blocked, and behind them loomed the titan, ready to claim lives—like fish trapped in a barrel, at the mercy of the monster.

Swish!

Suddenly, a steel cable shot forward, embedding itself in the nape of the aberrant titan charging at the crowd. Sikong Xu had finally caught up!

Boom, boom, boom!

The ground trembled under the titan's massive weight. Stubborn as ever, even with a steel cable lodged in its nape, the aberrant ignored everything else, focused solely on the crowd.

"Main quest one, here I come!"

With a flash, Sikong Xu gripped the cable, whipping himself behind the aberrant titan. A blade gleamed; with effortless precision, he sliced a huge chunk of flesh from the titan's nape.

Thud!

The instant it lost its nape, the aberrant titan died, its body crashing forward from inertia, barely stopping just short of the terrified crowd.

"Cadet Sikong Xu has completed Main Quest One."

"Mission difficulty: Two stars."

"Mission objective: Slay ten titans. (Bonus: Additional rewards for each titan killed; greater rewards for aberrant kills.)"

"Mission reward: 150 credits."

The cold, mechanical voice rang in Sikong Xu's mind. At long last, Main Quest One was complete.

For a moment, Sikong Xu was genuinely moved. Though he had only recently crossed into this world, he retained all his memories from before. In his recollection, during his month at the Dimensional Academy, he'd experienced two training arcs in fantasy worlds—each ending in his death, never daring to dream of completing a main quest.

He exhaled deeply. Since he was now a transmigrator, he was determined to make his mark in this world.

"You... you're not hurt, are you?" No sooner had Sikong Xu slain the aberrant than Mikasa landed beside him, her voice filled with concern.

"I'm fine..." Sikong Xu smiled. Unlike Eren, he didn't find Mikasa's persistent concern annoying—in fact, he rather liked it. After all, her worry meant she cared, and that gave him hope for the success of his second talent.

"What are you all doing here?" After confirming Sikong Xu was unharmed, Mikasa turned to question the crowd, just as she had in the original story.

"Oh! You're just in time, get these people to help! I'll reward you!"

This merchant noble was truly asking for trouble, actually daring to command Mikasa to help him.

In an instant, Mikasa's expression grew cold and dark. Perhaps because of the tragedy in her childhood—her family slaughtered by human traffickers—she usually wore a mask of indifference, but now, provoked by this noble, her icy aura became almost tangible.

"Right now... my comrades are dying one after another. Because the residents haven't all escaped, they're fighting titans and sacrificing their lives." Mikasa's hands trembled on her steel blades, her eyes vacant and hollow.

"Of course, protecting the lives and property of the residents is exactly what you soldiers are supposed to do! You sacrifice your hearts for this!" The merchant, rather than feeling any shame at Mikasa's words, replied as if it were only natural. "You freeloaders are only useful once in a hundred years—you think you're so important!"

"Oh... is that so?"

Standing beside Mikasa, Sikong Xu naturally overheard the merchant's words. Eyes narrowed, he smiled faintly as he spoke.

When he'd read this scene in the original, Sikong Xu hadn't felt much, but now, experiencing the world of titans firsthand, he realized just how detestable this merchant truly was.

"We're nothing special, that's true." Sikong Xu hopped down from the slain aberrant, maintaining his narrowed, smiling gaze.

"Hmph! As long as you know! All your expenses come from us! Now hurry and get these people to move my cargo!" The merchant still had no idea just how close Sikong Xu was to exploding with rage.

"Honestly, I've killed ten titans on this journey. Sometimes, after killing so many titans, you get a taste for something different—like killing people, for instance..." Sikong Xu's already narrow eyes became slits.

"You... what are you planning..." Even the thickest fool could hear the murderous intent in Sikong Xu's tone. "Don't do anything stupid. You know, one word from me and your career as a soldier is finished!"

"Oh?" Sikong Xu said slowly. "The dead can't speak..."

"You..."

At this, the two bodyguards beside the merchant lunged at Sikong Xu. But how could two ordinary men, no matter how sturdy, be a match for someone who'd slain ten titans?

Sikong Xu didn’t need to think. Like a seasoned veteran or an assassin walking the edge of a blade, his body reacted faster than his mind.

Thud! Thud!

With a slight sidestep and two swift punches—one to each man's abdomen and nape—he dropped them to the ground in an instant.

"If you want to live, move that carriage out of the way," Sikong Xu said, eyes wide and cold as he glanced at the merchant. "When it comes to life or money, I trust you can make the right choice..."

"You..." Under Sikong Xu's oppressive aura, the merchant deflated like a punctured ball. "Move the carriage..."