Tyrant Emperor

"Here." Edwin raised his hand and walked out, a smug smile playing on his face.

"You may leave," the teacher said, his expression unreadable.

"The second name is Leon."

Leon stood up from his seat and made his way toward the door, but the teacher stepped in front of him, blocking his path.

"What's the matter?" Leon asked, his tone steady.

"Do you know why you placed second even though you got only one question wrong?" the teacher asked, a cryptic smile curling his lips.

"Is it because my last answer was wrong?" Leon slowly raised his head, his crimson pupil locking onto the teacher.

"That's right," the teacher replied with a nod.

"I see. Then what should I do about it?" Leon asked, his tone calm and unbothered, leaving the teacher momentarily speechless.

"The answer you wrote was so bad it cost you twenty points," the teacher said, his voice deep and measured. "If not for that, you could have easily beaten Edwin."

"I see," Leon responded with a slight nod.

The teacher's brows twitched. "Why are you so calm after losing your marks? Don't you even want to know how a single question cost you the first position?"

Leon shrugged casually. "A warrior is someone who has a warrior's heart. Isn't that the most appropriate answer?"

"You…" The teacher was at a loss for words. "I didn't mean a warrior in the literal sense but in a philosophical one."

"I meant what I meant."

"But your answer is too broad and not concise," the teacher said, his brows knitting into a deeper frown.

Leon didn't respond immediately but then asked calmly, "Isn't your question broad as well, Teacher?" His steady gaze met the teacher's.

"A warrior's heart can refer to the literal one, a concept tied to cultivating natural energy, or did you mean it philosophically? I want a clear answer," the teacher demanded with an edge of frustration in his tone.

"You will never know," Leon said with a polite bow. "Unless you give me full marks for it." With that, he walked out of the room.

The teacher remained rooted in place, his body trembling slightly, his fists clenched tight. Finally, he let out a bitter smile. "That brat got into my head."

Then he looked at the other students and called out in a colder tone.

Tina was in the top ten position as for Fatty, it looks like he failed…

"Teacher, why did I fail?" Fatty spoke with an extremely aggrieved expression.

"You little brat," the teacher pulled his ears.

"Ouch, ouch." The fatty immediately cried in pain.

"You did copy from Leon but almost the entire answer is scribbled. You can't even copy properly."

"Eh?" Marcus was stunned on the spot.

The teacher then showed his question paper which was basically scribbles, not understandable by even a dog.

"You will attend extra classes with me."

Everyone in the classroom started to laugh.

"You guys too will sit in the extra classes." the teacher turned around making everyone gulp nervously.

…

Leon walked out of the two-story building on the school grounds. It was a spacious, clear area, and a tall black pillar stood at the center of the ground.

He squinted his eyes. 

"This black pillar feels familiar—"

"Leon," Tina hugged him from the back while giggling, "You should have waited for me."

Leon stood his ground calmly, a look of annoyance crossing his face.

"You guys seem to be close to each other," Edwin suddenly appeared, a smile on his face. But his expression quickly changed to shock as a small fist squarely hit him right in the nose, knocking him several feet into the ground.

"You." He flared up.

"Who are you to come between Leon and me?" Tina huffed, crossing her arms defiantly.

Edwin stood up in a ready stance.

At this time, a bulky, tall man, about seven feet, walked into the ground, wearing only black trousers. He casually stomped the ground.

Boom!

The entire ground rumbled, and the children fell, stumbling here and there.

"Hmm," the bulky man squinted. "It looks like this batch is a bunch of weaklings. Only three were able to stand up."

Only three individuals remained standing tall and proud: Leon, Tina, and Edwin. The others were in disarray, struggling to get back on their feet.

After the ground shaking subsided, the bare-chested man clapped his hands, drawing the attention of all the children.

"Alright, listen up, punks. Those who couldn't stand their ground—ten laps around the entire place. No quitting."

The instructor's cruel smile widened as he delivered the punishment.

"Eh, that's unfair!" Yoland complained instantly. "We were just caught off guard!"

The instructor's grin turned even more devious. "As for the three who did stand their ground? They'll run twenty laps."

The announcement was met with stunned silence. Complaints died in the throats of those who were about to protest.

"If you hesitate," the instructor warned with a pause, "more laps will be added."

At once, everyone sprang into motion, rushing to avoid further punishment. Edwin, however, remained rooted to the spot, staring at the instructor with wide, bewildered eyes.

"What's the matter, kiddo?" The instructor chuckled darkly. "Not excited about running laps?"

Edwin swallowed hard, his voice cracking. "We stood our ground... We passed the test. Shouldn't we be rewarded?"

"Don't look for rewards or punishments, kid," the instructor sneered. "We don't have slaves in our kingdom—only true warriors are born. Carrots and sticks? Those are for slaves."

"So, we really have to run the whole way?" Edwin frowned, a hint of disbelief in his voice.

"Make it twenty-five laps."

"What do you think, guys?" Edwin turned to the two who had stood their ground with him, only to find them gone.

"They're already running laps, kid," the instructor said with a smirk.

"Fuck!"

Edwin bolted, pushing himself to run at full speed. Ahead of the pack, Leon maintained a steady lead, followed closely by Tina.

But Edwin, wearing a smug grin, sprinted past both of them with a snicker.

The first lap was easy. By the second, Edwin began to pant. By the third, his legs trembled, and his breathing grew increasingly labored.

By the tenth lap, he was barely holding on—panting, breathless, and teetering on the edge of collapse. Every step felt like dragging lead weights.

Leon, however, kept the same steady pace, his cold expression unwavering. Tina followed not far behind, her breathing uneven but determined to keep going.

By the fifteenth lap, Edwin finally gave out. He collapsed onto the ground, arms spread wide, his face painted with despair.

"Kid, keep running," the instructor barked, his voice cutting through Edwin's daze like a whip.