Chapter 18

As Charles entered the room, he was greeted by a group of directors and chairmen, some of whom were his lecturers. The atmosphere was formal, but Charles had already probed their minds before stepping inside. He knew exactly where this conversation was headed.

"Take a seat," the head director gestured to the chair in front of him.

Charles, playing along, sat down without a word, waiting for them to make the first move.

"Charles, do you know why you're here?" the head director asked, leaning forward.

"No," Charles shook his head, feigning innocence.

"A government body has extended an offer to you," the head director explained. "They want your involvement in a special project that could benefit this country."

"What's the project about?" Charles asked, though he already knew. He wanted to see just how far they would go to conceal the truth.

"It's classified," the head director replied cautiously. "But if you agree to participate, we'll arrange for your early graduation—you'll receive your degree immediately."

Charles leaned back in his chair, unfazed. "Counter offer: grant me a doctorate in the fields I've studied. If you can't do that, I'll decline. And I assume the university stands to gain a hefty amount of funding if I agree, right?"

The room went silent for a moment. Some of the directors exchanged glances, clearly uncomfortable with the boldness of Charles' request. Two of his lecturers, however, spoke up in his defense.

"Charles is already more knowledgeable than any of us in our own subjects," one said.

"He has an extraordinary understanding of the material, far beyond what anyone else here can comprehend," the other added. "He could have taken every course if he wanted, but he only focused on what interested him."

The head director sat quietly, staring at Charles for a few seconds. He could see there was no room for negotiation. Finally, he nodded. "Alright, Charles. We'll grant you your doctorates."

Charles didn't let his surprise show, though internally, he was impressed by how quickly they caved. 'Well, I figured the government must have offered them a lot of funding,' he thought, then said aloud, "Thanks."

"No problem," the head director replied.

"Can I go now?" Charles asked, ready to leave.

"Yes, you're free to go," the head director confirmed.

As Charles left the room, one of the other directors turned to the head director. "Are you sure about this?"

"It's a million dollars in funding," the head director replied. "Who else would offer us that much?"

"We know, but what if Charles disappoints the government? They might withdraw the funds," another director said, worried.

"Let's trust him," the head director said confidently. "He's the son of the late Brian Xavier. He'll surprise us, just like his father did."

Meanwhile, outside, Charles couldn't help but smile to himself. 'I'm free from the grind of studying. Now I'm a professor in my own right, with doctorates on the way.'

His thoughts raced with excitement. 'All I need to do now is finish this project, secure my PhDs, and then... the world is mine to explore.'

Charles grinned, knowing that his next chapter was about to begin.

Charles strode straight to his room, his left side of his face turned away, shielding his eyes from the sight of his roommate cuddling with a naked woman.

"You're back early today, Charles," his roommate, Bryan, said, not bothering to hide the woman in his arms.

"Yeah, you interested in seeing my boobs?" the woman, Cory, added, her voice dripping with playful seduction.

"You two have no shame," Charles retorted, his voice tinged with disgust. "I'm only eight years old."

"You say that, but you're far from a child," Bryan shot back, his eyes narrowing.

"And you're more mature than Bryan here," Cory chimed in, her fingers tracing lazy circles on Bryan's chest.

"Shut up, Cory," Bryan snapped, his patience wearing thin.

"Aw, is my boyfriend mad because I said Charles is more mature? Come here, suck my boobs, my little baby," Cory teased, holding her breasts out toward Bryan.

Bryan's annoyance was palpable.

"Like I said, you two have no shame. But Bryan, I won't be here long. I got a job offer from the government," Charles announced, trying to change the subject.

"Really? Man, I'm gonna miss you, kid," Bryan said, his tone softening.

"Man, chill out. You already have a girlfriend. Don't be a pedo and gay mad crazy," Charles quipped.

"Bro, don't insinuate things. I didn't say it like that," Bryan defended, his voice rising.

Both of them chuckled, and Charles added, "Remember to clean this room. It smells musky in here, and spray some perfume. Damn, you two have no shame."

Charles left the room, his footsteps echoing down the hallway.

"He's cute when he's embarrassed," Cory remarked, her eyes following Charles's retreating form.

"Tch," Bryan grunted, his eyes darkening.

"Are you jealous? I'm sorry you felt threatened by a kid," Cory said, her voice a mix of amusement and concern.

Bryan looked at her, his frustration boiling over, and began to devour her in bed, his hunger for her body eclipsing all other thoughts.

Back to Charles, he's mutterings were laced with a mix of disdain and disbelief. "Terrible roommate. One of the best students here, and now they're addicted to pleasure. I'm sure they'll drop out of university soon."

He headed to the nearby park, finding solace in the familiar surroundings. He took a seat on a bench, gazing up at the sky.

The weight of his thoughts pressed down on him as he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I still can't believe I'm in the World War 2 era," he whispered to himself.

But his moment of reflection was abruptly shattered. A blare of telepathic senses jolted him.

The park's tranquility evaporated as he sensed someone behind him, attempting to knock him out with chloroform.

"Limiter Open," Charles muttered, and his body's limits were lifted.

His move was fast and he quickly grabbed the man's wrist and throwing him forward, sending the assailant crashing to the ground.

Charles stood up, his guard raised, scanning the area for any more threats. 'I could end this fight easily, but they'd figure out I'm a mutant. I need to be careful,' he thought.

The man tried to stand, but Charles was already on him, delivering a swift kick to his face, knocking him out cold. The other four men emerged from the cluster of trees, rushing toward Charles.

Charles turned, a smirk playing on his lips. "Come on then," he challenged.

The first man reached him and attempted to sweep his legs. Charles caught the leg, using his strength to twirl the man, knocking the others away as they fell to the ground. He then threw the man, hitting another in the process. Only two remained.

Charles rushed toward one of them. The man tried to punch him, but Charles dodged, delivering a swift kick to his groin, knocking him out with a bubble of air escaping his mouth.

The last man was already behind him, attempting to kick him. Charles caught the leg, despite taking some damage. He broke the man's legs, causing him to scream in pain. But Charles wasn't done. He turned, rushing toward the man who was now on the ground.

With a powerful punch, Charles broke the man's nose, teeth flying out as the man crumpled to the ground, defeated.