Gustav was a tall, overweight man with a scowl permanently etched on his face. He was angry and rude, treating those around him with contempt and disdain. The only thing that set him apart from other people was his ability to read them like an open book. He was extremely calculating and perceptive, using this skill to his advantage in both his personal and professional life.
As he stood on the train platform, Gustav was lost in a daze, his mind consumed by the events of the day. He had just been fired from his job for being too cold towards customers, and the rejection had hit him hard. Without paying attention to his surroundings, Gustav tripped on the edge of the platform and fell to the ground.
As the train rushed towards him, Gustav closed his eyes, bracing himself for the impact. In those final moments, Gustav saw his life flash before his eyes. He remembered the many times he had treated people poorly, thinking that they didn't understand him because he pitied himself too much. He remembered the fear and loneliness that had consumed him for so long.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a completely different place. He was lying on a bed, with his mother's concerned face hovering over him. Confused and disoriented, Gustav tried to sit up, but his mother gently pushed him back down.
"Gustav, sweetheart, you're okay," she said soothingly. "You had a little accident, but you're safe now."
As Gustav struggled to make sense of what was happening, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong. He had the distinct feeling that he had been reborn into a new life, but he couldn't remember anything about his previous one.
As Gustav looked around the room, he was struck by the old-fashioned furnishings and the lack of technology. An old grandfather clock ticked away in the corner, and the room itself looked like it could have been built in the early 1900s.
His mother, a slender woman with brown hair and green eyes, was standing by the door. She wore a grey dress that looked old-fashioned, and Gustav, not being the kindest of people, thought to himself that she wasn't the best looking person in the world, but she wasn't bad either.
"Gustav, my dear boy, you gave me such a fright," she said, rushing to his side. "You fell from the wall and hit your head. You shouldn't be climbing to high places until you're a little older."
She leaned down and kissed him on the forehead, calling him her crazy little boy. "Promise me you won't do it again," she said, looking at him sternly.
Gustav nodded, still trying to adjust to the fact that this woman was his mother. "Okay," he said softly.
As she left the room, Gustav looked around, trying to rationalize how he had been reincarnated. He wondered if it was the work of some kind of higher power or something else entirely. He got up and walked to the mirror, looking at his reflection. He was about 5'4" and looked to be around thirteen years old. He was thin and malnourished, his cheekbones prominent on his gaunt face.
As Gustav looked in the mirror, he was startled when a blue panel suddenly appeared in front of him. It read: "The Strongest World War System."
Gustav was amazed by this, his eyes widening in disbelief. "This is freaking crazy," he said out loud. "It's like a video game."
Suddenly, a voice spoke in his head. "I am the system," it said. "I am here to help you survive in this world. There is something called XP, which you can obtain by murdering any lifeforms or by doing quests. The XP can be used to upgrade your basic stats, skills, or magic."
Gustav was blown away by this information. "I've read books like this before," he said, his mind racing with the possibilities. "There's definitely more to this than just reincarnation."
As he spoke, another panel appeared in front of him, this one reading: "Stats."
Name: Gustav
Speed:5
Health:5
Endurance:5
Strength:5
Intelligence:9
Charisma:1
Magic: low aptitude
As Gustav looked at the stat panel in front of him, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was like something out of a video game, but he knew that this was real life. He had been reincarnated into a new world, and now he had a powerful system at his disposal.
He reached out to touch the screen, and a list of stats appeared before him. There were so many of them, each with its own bar that could be filled as he gained points and resources,
Gustav couldn't believe the potential that lay before him. With the help of the system, he could become the strongest person in this world. He just needed to figure out how to use it to his advantage.
As Gustav stood in front of the stat panel, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his head. It was like an ice-pick, stabbing into his brain and causing him to tremble and nearly drop to the floor.
He gasped, his hands going to his head as he tried to bear the pain. He had no idea what was happening, but he knew that it wasn't good.
Suddenly, a notification popped up on the screen. "Syncing user memories," it read.
Gustav groaned, realizing that this was the cause of the pain. Thousands of foreign memories were being forced into his head, and it felt like his brain was going to explode.
As the pain subsided, Gustav took a deep breath and tried to compose himself. He had no idea what was happening, but he knew that he had to find out.
He looked at the stat panel and saw that he had the previous owner's memories. He realized that he had been reincarnated into a new life, and he shouted out in frustration.
"F*ck me, I'm so unlucky," he said, his head dropping into his hands.
As he looked through the memories, he realized that it was 1912. In two years' time, World War II would start. Gustav cursed his luck, knowing that he had a shitty personality and all he wanted to do was stay alive. But being reincarnated two years before World War II wasn't very helpful.
"Well, I guess I'm going to have to get stronger and rise through the ranks of the German military until I don't have to fight on the front lines anymore," he said to himself, determination filling his voice.
Gustav took a deep breath, knowing that he had a long road ahead of him. But he was determined to survive
It had been twenty minutes and the smell of his new mother's cooking rushed into his nose, making his stomach growl with hunger. Gustav walked over to his wardrobe and looked through the assortment of clothes that were inside. They were all from the early 1900s, and he had a feeling that they belonged to the previous owner of his body.
He selected a pair of black pants and a worn grey shirt that used to be white. The only piece of clothing that was in good condition was a black jacket, which Gustav assumed belonged to the dead father of the previous Gustav. He put it on and finished off his attire with an old flat cap.
"Hopefully this food is ready," he thought to himself. "This body looks like if it goes without food for one more day, it will drop dead."
Gustav walked over to the door, which was old-fashioned and looked like it would fall off its hinges at any moment. He walked out into a small hallway and saw the kitchen at the very end of the hall, to the left. The house was old and run-down, and Gustav could see the signs of poverty everywhere.
He walked into the kitchen and saw a bowl of disgusting brown liquid on the table. It looked and smelled vile, and Gustav couldn't believe that this was what he was expected to eat.
"What is this?" he asked, his nose wrinkling in disgust.
"It's belt soup," his mother said sternly. "Be more grateful.
Gustav sat down at the table, feeling a mixture of disgust and hunger as he looked at the bowl of belt soup in front of him. Just as he was about to take a spoonful, he suddenly got a notification from the system.
"Hunt food for your family - 100 XP, Hunter Skill Level 1," it read.
Gustav's eyes lit up as he read the notification. This was his chance to get some much-needed food and resources for his family, and he knew that he had to take it.
But as he looked down at the bowl of belt soup in front of him, he couldn't stomach it any longer. He stood up from the table abruptly, pushing his chair back and refusing to eat something that made him sick.
His mother looked at him in confusion, her eyes filling with fear and anger. "What are you doing?" she asked, her voice shaking. "You need to eat something, or you'll get sick."
But Gustav didn't listen. He couldn't bear the thought of eating the vile broth, and he knew that he had to get out of there before he lost his mind.
He turned and ran from the kitchen, leaving his mother behind and confused. He knew that he had hurt her feelings, but he couldn't help it. He just couldn't bring himself to eat the belt soup.
With a determined look in his eyes, Gustav headed out into the world, ready to take on the quest given to him by the system. He was determined to hunt food for his family and provide for them, no matter what it took.
The end of chapter one.