Status

Although my mind had recovered, my body was still in a bad shape. So, all I could do was glare at the brat running from me as I struggled to catch up.

"Catch me if you can~." He taunted with a smug grin on his face.

'Just you wait, you damn FSP.' I swore to myself that I would make him cry.

In the end, I just gave up on chasing him. My body might collapse if I overexert myself and trust me, that's the last thing I want.

Anyway, the custom skills I acquired began fixing my body, albeit slowly as I made my way home, to the Yeager household. Surely enough, I was greeted by Carla right at the doorstep.

She stood right before me, with her hands folded and a frown on her face. The little prat was hiding behind her, as if she were his greatest shield. This kid sure got brains.

"Karl, where have you been?" She asked in a worried tone, in contrast to her expression. Well, I've been gone for almost an hour, so of course she'd be worried.

Time for damage control.

"I fell asleep by the tree, because I was just feeling tired. Eren was with me, so I was fine."

Her frown slowly dispersed at those words, after which, she noticed my condition. Certainly, the smell coming from my body coupled with the stickiness of my hair and clothes definitely didn't give it away, right?

"Karl? Why do look like this?!" She leaned closer and began inspecting my body. She was about to examine my chest, as I quickly interrupted her.

"I'm fine mom, I just need a bath." I tried to reason, but to no avail.

Only after stretching a bit and hiding my pain was I able to convince her that I was fine.

"Fine, then. Now go and get cleaned up, young man. Breakfast will soon be ready." She sighed as she spoke. Was it really that obvious?

At her words, I rushed to the bathroom to prepare for a comfy clean-up. Following my routine check-up, I observed the state of my tired body.

My feet and calves were, as usual, a deep shade of red, covered with dry sweat and an occasional purple dot. Even my face was no exception, with a red nose and similarly dyed ears.

My shoulders and abs were a bit swollen (definitely not fat!) and bruised with my wrists feeling a bit numb.

If it weren't for Mental Defense, I'm sure that I would've been overwhelmed by so much pain, that I wouldn't even be able to move right now. So, in a way, it's a really OP skill.

Slowly entering the tub, I was assaulted by a feeling of absolute liberation. The soft warmth of the water permeated my battered body as I sunk deeper and deeper into that serene ecstasy.

And, as if on cue, I felt [Reinforced Anatomy] pick up a notch.

My muscles squirmed as they became increasingly firm. I felt as if I had been freed from shackles I never knew I had, in turn, gaining greater control over my body.

<+>

[Reinforced Anatomy]

[Type: Special Passive]

[Summary: Increases regeneration rate and boosts metabolism of the human body.]

[Proficiency: 27.84%]

[*This skill has a registered Unique Ability]

<+>

Truly, the second best skill I possessed. At least, my two year old self did something right.

And so, scrubbing all the grime off my body, I quickly finished my bath. Draining the tub, I reached out to my towel and began drying myself. And, with that, it was time for the best part after every bath.

With a towel wrapped around my waist, my bare chested body was in full view in the mirror.

Looking at my body, with no excess fat, perfectly designed muscles that looked like they had been sculpted rather than trained coupled with the perfect proportions, I just couldn't help but marvel. All that pain and hard work were truly showing exceptional results!

I might just be the most handsome kid in this world!

And, all those who fantasized about me now are undoubtedly pedophiles. Sure, I may be perfect, but I'm still seven and expect to be treated like one. So, do yourselves a favor by visiting the nearest police stations...

Anyway, quickly dressing up, I made my way to the dining table and found my family waiting for me. With a quick prayer, we dug into Carla's legendary cooking.

Eating with quick bites, I made sure to follow the bare minimum of table manners. Otherwise, Carla would… well, let's just leave it at that.

Suddenly, Carla turned towards me with a sharp glint in her eyes. Realizing that I was deep shit, I thought about all my most recent transgressions.

Of course, the only problem was that there were too many, and those were just the ones at the top of my mind.

'Let's just apologize first.' I thought as Carla asked a completely unexpected question.

"Karl, how long has it been since you started your morning training?" She spoke in an angry tone, but, I could feel some worry in it.

"I'm sor-Huh? Well, a month, I guess?"

Well, I'm not lying. I 'officially' started exercising during the morning hours only after my 7th birthday.

"That's right. For an entire month, you've been doing it without fail."

"And…?" A compliment? That can't be good.

"So, I think you should take a break. Not to mention you're still too young for that kind of heavy training." She said, dropping the bomb.

"But mom, I ha-" Was all I could say as I felt a chill down my spine. Just how does she stare like that?!

"Listen to your mother, Karl." Grisha tried to mediate. It was obvious that the last thing he'd want was to make his wife mad.

Well, its not like I can't do it sneakily, like I did for the last four years.

'I'll just do the same as before, then.' I thought as I gave up. At most, it would just take up some extra time.

"Fine, I will try to tone it down."

"Good." She said as she smiled and continued eating.

I could even see Grisha letting out a small sigh, looking quite relieved. This guy... You were supposed to be a supportive father, weren't you?

Well, in the end, it's all in Isa's hands… And, no matter what anyone says, I'm sure that damn A.I. is sentient and sadistic as hell.

Just as I was lamenting for my pitiful life, a mechanical beep rang in my head. The next second, a red box appeared in my vision with the following words.

[System Alert: Hidden Quest Conditions Fulfilled.]

<+>

[Quests ;]

[Mother Knows Best]

[Type: Hidden]

[Summary: A Mother's word is Law. Following her words can lead to plentiful rewards. To do so, achieve zero progress for the Quest, [Training] for a single week.]

[Progress: 0%]

[Rewards: 250 Gene Points]

[Penalty: Carla's Special Punishment Series]

<+>

I just stared like an idiot at my screen. A rare Hidden Quest! All these years, I had gotten only one, and that too gave me 200 Gene Points! But, my excitement died as I read the Quest Summary.

Oh, the Summary was quite simple alright. I just need to skip my [Training] quest. But, there was only one problem.

I need to skip that damned [Training]?!

What in Ymir's name is this?! Does this mean I have to go through the accursed "Death(?)" penalty again?! Nooo!

The rewards might be plenty, but so would the pain!

'Oi, Isa, are you seeing this?' I called out to my shitty A.I. and, lo and behold, a blue box popped up, along with a voice in my head.

[Yes Host. Conditions of Hidden Quest oppose that of Daily Quest. Confirming order of precedence…]

[Daily Quest "Training" has been disabled. Hosts' Hidden Quest "Mother Knows Best" has been activated.]

'…'

Once again, I couldn't help but stare at my screen.

Truly, my Mom is, was and will be the greatest there is in this world. And that's a fact.

***

"Big bro, how much longer will it take?"

Walking down the fairly crowded streets, I just ignored the prat's question. Instead, I looked around for any special shops.

'I still need to make him cry, right?' I thought as I grinned.

Even as Eren shook me, shouted in my ears or stood against me, I continued to act as if he didn't exist. It might seem a bit childish, but its really effective against kids. Well, sort of.

And, the fact that we've been walking for the last half hour seemed to bore him quite a bit. An unintended side effect, but a welcome one.

Usually, I would sneak out while playing with Eren or take him with me to finish my Daily Quests, but I don't have to worry about them for another week. Therefore, I began my other pending jobs.

Anyway, after exploring this particular alley, I was quite disappointed. Not only was I unable find any candy shops, I couldn't even complete my primary goal. Looks like my revenge will have to wait a bit.

'Another dead end.' I couldn't help but sigh as I turned back with the prat in tow.

Finding new ways to reach the docks can be really exhausting. But, right now, that is one of my main goals.

Since, I wasn't sure of the day the walls would be broken, I had no choice but to be prepared for it at moment's notice. And, exploring Shinganshina was the best way to do it.

Only then, will I be able to evacuate Carla and the others in the quickest way possible, when Bertbitch shows up to break the walls. Ensuring my family's safety was, right now, my utmost priority and farming Gene Points was second.

About that, I haven't been able to check my [Status Window] for a while now. Might as well do it, then.

'Isa, open my [Status Window].'

[Very Well.]

And, just a quick look at my Gene Points brought a wide smile to my face. Hard work pays off, bros!