Chapter 08

The leaves on the trees rustled as the wind howled through the open sky. A gentle breeze entered the room shaking the white curtains. As young Wilhelm slowly regained consciousness, his senses began to sharpen. The world around him materialized in fragments of blurry shapes and muffled sounds. A soft, sterile scent hung in the air, intertwining with a hint of anxiety lingering in his mind. As his eyes fluttered open, he found himself lying on a narrow bed, surrounded by white walls adorned with medical equipment and charts.

Wilhelm's head throbbed as if a thousand tiny drums were beating within his skull. Confusion washed over him as he struggled to recall the events that led to this unfamiliar place. He instinctively tried to sit up but was met with dizziness that forced him back onto the pillow. A gentle voice, laced with concern, broke through the haze of his thoughts.

"Take it easy, young man," a nurse with kind eyes spoke softly, her voice a soothing balm to his bewildered mind. "You're in the infirmary. You passed out this morning."

Wilhelm's brows furrowed as he strained to remember. Flashes of his earlier experiences emerged like fragmented puzzle pieces forming an incomplete picture. Only then did he begin to recall the terrifying sensation of his chest tightening, the desperate gasps for air, and the encroaching darkness that enveloped him.

Wilhelm's fingers fidgeted with the thin sheets beneath him as he attempted to process the gravity of what had happened. The nurse went to inform the doctor about him regaining consciousness while the infirmary's sterile environment held a deafening silence.

'I lost my consciousness? Seriously! I was meant to be God. How was I, God, if those seamen had more power than me? How. How. How. How,' Wilhelm thought while holding his head with his hands.

'I thought I was the protagonist here. All I needed to do was start training, and I would gain limitless power. And yet I couldn't even move in that mask. AAH, WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO!' Wilhelm thought while pulling his blond hair

'I had believed I was special, that I was the chosen one. I was God. And now what? I pathetically faint from taking a few steps while wearing a stupid mask?'

As Wilhelm grappled with his shattered illusions and overwhelming frustration, a soft, gentle breeze seeped through the open window, rustling the leaves on the nearby trees. The curtain danced and swayed as if beckoning Wilhelm to look beyond the confines of his current predicament.

At that moment, the touch of the wind on his face felt like a tender reminder, Wilhelm's eyes fixed on the dancing curtain, his gaze transfixed by the outside world that seemed so tantalizingly close yet out of reach. The realization washed over him like a wave, carrying away the remnants of his self-pity.

As the nurse returned with the doctor, Wilhelm met their concerned gazes and just stared at them. Instead of having the eyes of a frustrated person, Wilhelm's gaze was eerily calm.

The doctor approached Wilhelm, offering a gentle smile, and said, "You merely passed out from the lack of air." Pausing briefly, he continued, "It seems to have been caused by the mask you were wearing. Now I don't know why you were wearing it, but I would advise against wearing it in the future."

Wilhelm nodded and asked if he could be discharged soon.

"Since you just passed out from the lack of air, there wasn't any serious damage. I will get the discharge process started."

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(Pov: Wilhelm)

I was out for a few hours; the sun would set soon. Having been in the marine infirmary, I was excused from my duties for today. Walking to Captain Benedict's office, I knock on the door.

"Come in"

Walking inside the room, I saw the captain sitting on his desk, working on the files on his desk.

"What can I help you with, Wilhelm?" he asked, showing some concern about why I was here.

"I would like to know if I can get my salary early this month and leave the base this afternoon. I would be back before nightfall."

'This Benedict cares for me since he bothered to take me in. So asking for such simple requests shouldn't be a challenge.'

"I don't see the problem with that, Wilhelm. I will also give you a bonus of 5,000 Berries along with your 35,000 Berriers."

"Okay, thank you, Captain."

After getting the money, I walked out of the marine base and into the bustling town. I walked into a store selling glasses. Walking up to the counter, I asked the old man, who seemed to be a worker, "Could you show me any glasses here."

The man, not caring that I seemed to be a kid, showed me pairs of glasses. I saw a black square glass with a sleek, sophisticated design and thin, lightweight frames.

"I had these," I said while pointing at the glasses that caught my attention.

"I would need your power level for your eyes, and it would take a few days for me to change the lens and shape them."

"No, I will take them as is. How much for this one."

"Seeing as you just want the frame, it will be 10,000 berries."

I didn't care if I was being ripped off or not. I paid for the glass, left the store, and headed for this cliff area to the Marine base.

Standing on the cliff side, you could see the ocean. The waves constantly crashing into the rocks at the bottom.

'No longer will I be that weakling. I'm now Wilhelm von Ainsworth. I am God. I will have the whole world at my knees in the future. But right now, I needed to take my time. I need to have patience. I wasn't some protagonist. The world didn't revolve around me. I had gotten impatient this morning, thinking with my system, I was already powerful. I needed to take my time making my body stronger. That was the whole reason behind joining the Marines. You were a fool to think power would come so easily. Never again. Never again will I make such a foolish mistake.' Staring at the distant sea, I looked at the sun's light dimming as it set. I took out the new glasses I had bought.

"I will become stronger in the future. After all, I was God," I said as the air around me seemed to be affected by my confidence. While seeing the ocean moving ever so endlessly, my eyes showed a sharpness that couldn't be hidden.

"I'm Wilhelm von Ainsworth, the one and only God."

I said while putting on my new glasses. The most shocking part of this moment was how my whole demeanor changed. The once sharpness was gone. The confidence surrounding me was replaced with nothing. And that was the scary part. My eyes were now filled with emptiness. They were so lifeless as if their soul had been removed. Losing the brilliance they held seconds ago.

With my glasses, I was now a completely different person. It would be hard for even the captain to recognize me now. And I was another person entirely. I was now Wilhelm: Wilhelm, an average marine soldier.

Usually, changing my whole persona now would be counterintuitive, but everything would be fine. Someone like Benedict would equate my change to the reality of realizing I was alone in this world as if my young mind hadn't fully comprehended my parent's death until now.

Returning to the base, I went to the cafeteria as I hadn't eaten anything this whole day. After a big dinner, I returned to my room and went to bed while wearing my glasses. I plan to be cold for a few days and slowly warm my heart again to everyone here. Further playing the fact the Marines were my new 'home.' Others wouldn't know my parent's death, but no normal kid would join the Marines at a young age instead of being outside and enjoying their childhood. I believed they were smart enough to understand the situation.

Using their pity, I will crawl into their hearts and slowly become the most diligent marine here. At least to them, I would be a hard-working kid with a tragic background. While thinking my face remained cold, I wouldn't ever break my character now, even as I slept.