Fred — who used to go by Friekasa online, king of dumb jokes and caffeine binges — pushed through the muddy forest just outside the walls.
The trees stood tall and tight like prison bars. The air reeked of wet pine, rotting leaves, and something worse — like something dead. Far off, a Titan let out a deep, rumbling roar.
Twigs snapped under his sneakers. Every sound made his skin crawl. He felt like he was being hunted.
Then a voice cut through the quiet — calm, clear, and way too crisp for a place like this.
"No threats within 500 meters. Proceed forward."
That was Raphael.His "Ultimate Skill."
"Still can't believe I've got you," Fred muttered. "Raphael. Ultimate Skill. What even is my life now?"
"I am your support system — strategy, analysis, command. Your survival rate increases by 76% when you follow my instructions."
Fred tugged at the stiff vest on his chest. "You sound like a GPS with a god complex."
"Incorrect. I am far more advanced than any GPS."
"Exactly," Fred muttered, rolling his eyes.
Six drones hovered around him in formation, motors humming softly. Each one was armed with a 5.56mm machine gun — total overkill in a world where most people fought with swords and horses. Raphael controlled them like a surgeon.
It had all started just an hour ago. Fred was on his couch, scrolling trash on X, sipping warm soda. Then — flash of light. Cold, robotic voice in his ear:"Starter Pack deployed. Survive, user."
Next thing he knew, he was here.In Attack on Titan.With Raphael in his head and enough firepower to take on a small country.
"I thought Ultimate Skills were, like… cheat codes," he said. "Now I've got one living in my skull."
"Correct. I am Raphael. Ultimate Skill: Lord of Wisdom. Integrated system. Tactical support. Combat optimization. Skill tracking. Environmental scans. Real-time feedback."
"Cool," Fred said. "Still sounds like a walking cheat code."
"Fred. Movement detected. 800 meters north. Three Titans. Estimated height: 10 to 15 meters. Speed: 20 meters per second. Approaching fast."
Fred's grin dropped. "Shit. Already?"
Through the trees, he caught glimpses — pale skin, twisted grins. Titans. Too close.
"What's the play?" he asked, heart racing.
"Deploying drones. Engaging targets. Estimated elimination time: 15 seconds."
The drones split off like a pack of hunting dogs. Engines whining, they opened fire — clean bursts. Sharp and deadly. The forest lit up with gunfire.
One Titan took a round through the forehead — its skull burst in steam. Another had its legs blown out, dropping like dead weight. The third charged, but the drones tore through its neck. Gone.
Three Titans. Down in seconds.
The drones circled back, scanning the trees. Fred's heart pounded, but he couldn't help the grin.
"Alright, Lord of Wisdom," he said. "What else came in this 'starter pack' of yours?"
"You received: myself — Raphael; six combat drones with weapon systems; one Kevlar vest; one survival backpack with water filter and multi-tool. Additional gear will unlock through system tasks."
"Tasks? Like quests?"
"Correct. Objectives. Missions. Complete them to earn more gear or powers. Check your HUD."
Fred blinked. A soft glow lit up in his vision — a simple menu:
Tasks | Inventory | Status
He looked at "Tasks," and lines of text appeared:
Eliminate 5 Titans (3/5) — Reward: Ammo Resupply, Drone Battery Recharge (+50%)Eliminate 10 Titans — Reward: Solar Charging Panels (Drones gain energy in daylight)
Fred barely had time to breathe.
"Fred. Two more Titans. South-east. Closer this time — 400 meters and closing fast."
"Goddamn," he muttered. "Do they just spawn out of thin air?"
"Unknown. Preparing to engage."
He spun around just in time to catch the top of a tree being snapped like a twig. One of the Titans, lanky and grinning, crashed through the brush. The other followed right behind it, stomping straight through the undergrowth like it was nothing.
"Hit 'em," Fred snapped.
The drones didn't wait. They split and swarmed, keeping distance, letting loose clean bursts. The first Titan didn't even make it ten steps — a bullet punched clean through its eye, dropping it fast. The second raised a hand, but before it could do anything, three drones opened fire on its neck. Clean cut. Steam hissed out.
"Both targets down," Raphael said. "Task complete."
A ping echoed in Fred's head. The HUD blinked, and a new message appeared:
Task Complete — Eliminate 5 Titans
Reward Unlocked: Ammo Resupply, Drone Battery Recharge (+50%)
He felt a soft hiss of compressed air as ammo cartridges inside the drones rotated out and new ones clicked in. The glow from their side ports brightened slightly.
"Nice," Fred said, exhaling. "That's more like it."
"Next task active," Raphael continued.
"Remaining target count: 5."
Task: Eliminate 10 Titans (5/10)
Reward: Integrated Solar Charging Panels
Fred stretched his arms and rolled his neck. "Let's get it done."
And they did.
The next two Titans showed up five minutes later — one tried crawling out of a small ravine, the other came charging through like a bulldozer. Fred didn't flinch. He just pointed.
"Same deal."
The drones fanned out again. Two tight bursts — one Titan's eye popped, and the other got shredded from the back of the neck.
"Targets neutralized," Raphael said. "Remaining: 3."
The last three weren't far behind — all together this time, stomping through the forest in a pack. Fred backed up against a thick tree and watched their bodies shift through the mist.
The drones rose higher, almost vanishing into the fog above. Then — the moment the first Titan looked up, the entire squad let loose.
The sound was deafening. Wood splintered. Blood steamed. In less than ten seconds, all three Titans hit the ground, unmoving.
Task Complete — Eliminate 10 Titans
Reward Unlocked: Solar Charging Panels Installed (Drones recover battery in daylight)