Tyrant Emperor

"Haha, it's your first, so it will take some time to master it," Alec said with a nod, handing Leon another axe—this one much smaller, weighing around a kilo.

Leon stared at the small axe, his gaze lingering on it in silence. He didn't speak, just looked at it for a moment.

"Take it," Alec urged, his tone filled with encouragement.

But Leon remained still, his eyes fixed on the weapon, his expression unchanging.

"You're not taking it?" Alec asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Let me try again, Father," Leon said, lifting his gaze to meet his father's eyes with determination.

Alec paused, curiosity flickering across his face, before nodding. "Alright."

Closing his eyes, Leon focused his mind on the center of his body, where a crystal resided. Within this crystal, a small amount of yellow chakra—about the equivalent of a glass of water—pulsed softly.

Slowly, the yellow chakra began to flow, channeled through unseen roots that extended to his arms, down to his hands, and finally into his fingers.

Leon's grip on the axe tightened as the yellow chakra infused his muscles. Then, with all his strength, he swung the axe at the wooden log.

His aim was precise, his movement swift, and his strike filled with raw power.

Swish!

With a clean cut, the wooden log split perfectly in half.

"Not bad," Alec said, his eyes widening in disbelief. 'How did he suddenly gain such strength?' he wondered silently, his gaze fixed on Leon.

Leon turned to face him with an uncertain face. "Father, did I do it?"

"No," Alec said, shaking his head. "To complete it, you must cut the wooden log as cleanly as I do. Brute force isn't the answer."

"I see," Leon replied with a thoughtful nod, setting the chopped log aside and replacing it with a fresh one.

He slid his hand across the surface of the new log, feeling its smoothness. A faint layer of dust clung to it, and the freshly cut ends showed clean marks of precision.

Leon placed the log back onto the tree stump and raised the axe to eye level, studying it carefully.

"So, I just have to keep slashing until I can make a perfectly clean cut, right?" he asked, looking at his father for confirmation.

"Yeah," Alec said with a nod. "Keep working on it and call me when you're done."

Leon gave a silent nod in response. Without another word, Alec left, leaving him alone.

"I wonder what this is for," Leon murmured, tilting his head in mild confusion.

He wasn't the type to complain about challenges, no matter how difficult. If there was one thing he had learned in his previous world, it was that whining solved nothing. It was a waste of time and energy—time that could be better spent working toward a solution.

Memories of his past life flickered in his mind. Countless hours wasted on mindless short videos, propaganda designed to spread hate, and other brain-rotting content had left him academically weaker. That lack of focus had made him an easy target for bullies at school.

Being fatherless only worsened the bullying. The relentless taunts, the isolation—it all compounded into a childhood filled with struggles he had to endure alone.

Leon raised his axe high into the air, his eyes focused and steady. If this were purely about physical training, there were far more varied and effective methods available. Still, this exercise was efficient in its own way—though he knew there were greater ways to train.

As he brought the axe down, his mind wandered briefly. Even with the supply of yellow chakra coursing through his arms, the axe stopped halfway through the log, stuck firmly in place.

Grunting in frustration, Leon pushed with his legs, yanking the axe free. He steadied himself and tried again. This time, the axe cut all the way through the wooden log, but the result was far from perfect. 

Wooden splinters burst out on either side, and the cut was noticeably slanted.

"I'm going to be here for a long time, aren't I?" Leon muttered in his heart as he swung the axe again, determined to cut the wooden log as cleanly and straight as possible.

He tried over and over, but no matter how hard he focused, something always went wrong. The yellow chakra in his core gradually drained away, leaving him fatigued, and his hands began to feel numb, making it even harder to control the axe.

Precision was only part of the challenge—he also needed the strength to power through the log and the speed to generate enough momentum for a clean cut. Balancing all three elements was an extremely tedious and overwhelming task to accomplish.

"Maybe if I used the smaller axe, this might have been easier," he thought for a fleeting moment. But he quickly shook his head, driving the unnecessary thought away. He gritted his teeth and continued.

The sun slowly dipped below the horizon, the approaching dusk painting the world in hues of orange and gold.

Shadows of birds streaked across the sky as they made their way home, while the tranquil air carried the soft whispers of the evening breeze.

Leon lay sprawled on the ground, his chest rising and falling rapidly, each breath labored. His vacant eyes gazed at the sky.

He glanced at his trembling, weary hands, their strength drained completely. A single thought echoed in his heart:

I failed!

It was all he could muster before his eyelids grew heavy. As his vision blurred, he caught sight of Tina running toward him, her face etched with worry. Beside her, his mother hurried closer, her expression mirroring Tina's concern.

Then, with a weary breath, Leon closed his eyes, surrendering to exhaustion.

Countless yellow bubbles filled the core of his body, increasing the limits of his yellow chakra by several times.

"Welp, I failed." Sitting in the void, Leon felt a sense of emptiness, these words seemed to echo across his mind. 

He had promised to make himself stronger and powerful to live freely and protect his loved ones, but he had failed at just a simple task. Was he truly qualified to aim at such a high height?

Doubt began to creep into his heart. At that moment, he slowly opened his groggy eyes to see the blurring ceiling.

His mother was smiling gently at him, her crimson pupils looking straight into his.

Instantly, every doubt in Leon's heart vanished, and a warm feeling emerged within him, completely dispelling all his uncertainties.