The Training Corps is composed of recruits who have not yet joined an official corps and the instructors responsible for training them.
The main training curriculum includes Maneuver Gear training, hand-to-hand combat training, and actual combat tests.
Today, Tang An spent another seven gold coins and, guided by the merchant shop owner, arrived at this area.
"If you want to join the Garrison Regiment, you must first pass through the Training Corps. They will put you through various assessments and training. If your scores are too poor, you will be asked to withdraw. If you pass their assessments, I have a way to get you into the Garrison Regiment."
Along the way, the merchant shop owner looked at Tang An, whose hair had grown down to his shoulders, feeling that after a period of absence, this person seemed to have changed.
"No problem."
Tang An smiled. Although this guy was greedy for money, he handled matters without the slightest delay once paid.
Out of his dozen or so gold coins, only five remained, with the rest all ending up in this fellow's pocket.
Before long, the two arrived at a camp. The merchant shop owner conversed with a man in uniform who appeared to be an officer, furtively slipped him something, and then pointed at Tang An.
Tang An maintained a calm smile.
He still had 17 days left.
Moreover, calculating the timeline, the Colossal Titan would breach Wall Rose in ten days.
At this time, Eren and the others were still members of the Training Corps--specifically the 104th Training Corps Cadets. Although still recruits, they were already helping the Garrison Regiment repair cannons and other defenses on the city walls.
As soon as the time came, they would choose whether to join the Survey Corps, the Garrison Regiment, or the Military Police Brigade.
Perhaps by joining the Training Corps at this moment, there was even a chance to see Eren and the others.
"I've arranged it, provided you pass their assessments. Otherwise..."
After waiting for about five minutes, the merchant shop owner walked back over to Tang An.
"Got it."
"Then I wish you luck."
The merchant shop owner waved his hand and left.
"Follow me."
The instructor who had previously spoken with the merchant shop owner looked at Tang An with a slight frown, a trace of disdain flashing in the depths of his eyes.
He had seen plenty of guys pulling strings like this; there were quite a few in every batch.
In the end, they were always dismissed because they couldn't withstand the rigorous training.
The higher-ups also turned a blind eye. For them, taking these backdoor bribes was free money.
Tang An followed behind this person while keeping a smile on his face. He was only here to practice with the vertical maneuvering equipment and, incidentally, to lock onto his target.
Entering the camp revealed a vast training field. There were quite a few recruits training in yellow training uniforms, but Tang An did not see his target among them.
Presumably, they weren't part of the 104th batch, considering the 104th recruits were close to graduation.
Passing through the training field, they arrived at a building. Stepping up a wooden staircase to the second floor, his guide knocked on the door.
"Come in."
"Instructor Keith, he wants to join the Training Corps."
Appearing in Tang An's field of vision was a tall, bald, bearded man with sunken eye sockets who looked extremely stern.
He looked rather difficult to approach.
He was the chief instructor of the 104th Training Corps and had previously served as the 12th commander of the Survey Corps.
While Tang An was sizing up Keith, Keith was also sizing him out.
Messy black hair reaching his shoulders, pitch-black eyes, a scar on his forehead, a well-proportioned build, around 1.69 meters tall, and a very pale face that made him look malnourished and quite young.
He wore a simple short-sleeve shirt and a pair of trousers, giving off a thoroughly ordinary vibe.
Keith frowned slightly. A person like this was unsuited to become a soldier and would never endure the training of the Training Corps.
"The 105th and 106th training classes have already finished recruitment. I advise you to head back; this isn't a place for you."
Keith offered this as a kind of well-intentioned warning.
He could already foresee the outcome, having witnessed far too many like him before this.
"How would I know if I don't try!"
Tang An chuckled.
"Ignorant."
Keith's expression sank, looking somewhat terrifying.
"I heard you're the chief instructor of the Training Corps, so you must be very strong. If I defeat you, can I join the Training Corps?"
Tang An had no time to waste here and cut straight to the point in a straightforward, brutal manner.
He still wanted to master the vertical maneuvering equipment within ten days.
"Hiss..."
Tang An's audacity caused his guide to draw in a sharp breath, trembling slightly.
Never before in the history of the Training Corps had anyone dared to provoke Instructor Keith like this.
"It's been a long time since anyone challenged me."
Keith smiled terrifyingly. He stepped away from his desk and stood right in front of Tang An, his height of over 1.8 meters allowing him to look down on Tang An.
True to his words, it had been a very long time since anyone had challenged him.
Even those troublemakers from the 104th batch hadn't tried.
"To the training field."
"No need."
Tang An rejected Keith's proposal, holding up a single finger. "I'll defeat you in one move."
Keith didn't speak, but his expression grew increasingly terrifying. He decided to teach this arrogant fellow a harsh lesson.
Without any warning, Keith launched a direct, powerful punch toward Tang An, accompanied by a faint sound of breaking air. His punching speed was extremely fast.
Yet in Tang An's eyes, Keith's attack looked like it was in slow motion. He tilted his head slightly, stepped forward, and slammed a direct punch right into Keith's abdomen.
"Ugh..."
A mouthful of hot blood spewed out, Keith's features twisted together, and his body lost all capacity for resistance in an instant, slowly dropping to his knees as his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.
If Tang An had wanted to kill Keith, Keith would already be dead.
The guide who had brought him there was completely dumbfounded.
This was Instructor Keith, the man with the strongest hand-to-hand combat skills in the entire Training Corps, yet now he was kneeling on the ground, clutching his abdomen and vomiting blood continuously.
A dozen minutes later, Keith sat in his chair with a pale complexion and a somewhat dazed look in his eyes.
To this moment, his body had yet to fully recover.
If the opponent hadn't targeted his abdomen instead of other vital points, he might already be dead.
That level of physical strength and speed was something he had only ever witnessed in Levi.
"Now I should be qualified to join the Training Corps, right!"
Tang An spoke as if he had just done something utterly trivial, meeting Keith's gaze directly.
"Yes."
Keith remained silent for a moment. He felt as though he were looking at a second Levi.
However, before that, he needed to thoroughly investigate the other person's background.
Yet Keith had no idea that the issue of identity was something the merchant shop owner had already fabricated well in advance.
Tang An's current identity was that of someone from Wall Maria, but since Maria had fallen five years ago, investigating someone's background would prove troublesome in the short term.
Not to mention, the merchant shop owner had already covered all the bases.
"Which training class do you want to join?"
"The 104th."
Keith frowned, pain still lingering on his face.
"The 104th batch of cadets is about to graduate. Even though your combat skills are formidable, your mastery of the vertical maneuvering equipment and other gear doesn't meet the requirements yet."
Keith shook his head. With that single punch just now, he had already confirmed Tang An's close-combat prowess.
The opponent's speed, strength, and reaction time were clearly superior to his own--if he couldn't even see that, he wouldn't be the chief instructor of the Training Corps.
"Give me nine days. If I don't meet the requirements, you can assign me wherever you want."
If Soru and Geppo didn't consume so much stamina, Tang An wouldn't have bothered coming specifically to the Training Corps to learn how to use the maneuvering gear.
With Soru and Geppo, Tang An's balance in mid-air was peerless, meaning that once he figured out the basics of the vertical maneuvering equipment, he would master it in no time.
Perhaps even nine days wouldn't be necessary.
"Fine, I'll give you nine days."
Keith nodded and agreed.
After all, geniuses always received certain privileges, and he could use these nine days to investigate the fellow's background anyway.
If everything checked out, perhaps this really would be the second Levi.