Tyrant Emperor

"By closing my eyes, I can feel the wind brushing against my skin. I can hear sounds from far away," he said casually.

"I can even smell the bloody scent of a hyena rapidly approaching a rabbit in the distance."

"Should we go save it, Leon?" Tina asked curiously, tilting her head.

Like the others, Tina had grown over the years. She was no longer a golden-haired tomboy brat but had matured, her hair now reaching her shoulders. She had gained a sense of composure, leaving behind her once mischievous demeanor.

"No," Leon replied, shaking his head. "This is the cycle of nature—something that shouldn't be disrupted."

"Okay," Tina shrugged as she continued walking forward.

As they walked toward the academy, Leon occasionally turned his head to glance at Tina, his expression filled with bewilderment.

"What's wrong, Leon?" Tina asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Nothing." Leon shook his head, his face expressionless. Yet, his heart was pounding wildly as a thought raced through his mind:

'I didn't know I had a demon for a friend!?'

"Hmm?" Tina narrowed her eyes in suspicion, studying him closely as they continued their quiet walk.

Before long, they reached the academy and took their seats. Leon sat in the middle, flanked by Fatty and Tina, who sat side by side.

The teacher entered the room, as neat and composed as ever. His hair was impeccably combed, and his simple yet elegant attire radiated an air of professionalism.

The class continued as usual without any disruptions. Leon, too, maintained a calm demeanor, showing no outward signs of abnormality. Yet his mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, each one piling atop the last.

Unsurprisingly, everyone in the class occasionally glanced at him with curious, questioning expressions.

With a blindfold covering his eyes and his towering, bulky frame standing out against the rest of his peers, Leon was impossible to ignore.

'This blindfold really opened my eyes to the world,' he thought bitterly. If it weren't for the yellow chakra in the core of his body enhancing his perception and freeing him from the need to rely on sight, it might have taken him far longer to realize her true nature as a demon.

Hidden beneath his sleeves, his arms trembled. Fear clawed at him, undeniable and sharp. He could lie to himself all he wanted, but the truth was clear:

He was afraid.

Leon didn't have any real weapon apart from a small curved knife, and all he'd learned were the basics. If he were attacked, it would be the end of him. For some reason, an ominous sense of premonition crept into his mind, causing his heart to pound like a drum.

The feeling refused to fade, persisting until his back was completely soaked with sweat.

"Am I really this scared?" he muttered under his breath, unsettled.

Before he realized it, the class was over in the blink of an eye.

No sooner had the lesson ended than the girls swarmed him.

"Hey, Leon, can you help me with my homework, please?"

"Yeah, you're the best at studying! Please teach us…"

They clung to him like lizards on a wall, almost overwhelming him.

"These brats are really annoying!" Leon thought, frowning in irritation.

Just then, Truman walked over, clearing his throat.

"I have something important to discuss with Leon. Would you all leave for now?"

"But teacher—"

"No." He cut them off with a firm shake of his head.

Grumbling, the girls reluctantly left, and even Fatty and Tina exited the room.

As soon as everyone was gone, Truman's friendly demeanor vanished. The smile on his face faded, replaced by a grim expression.

Leon remained seated, tilting his head slightly upward.

"What is it, teacher?"

"Should I tell you the truth?"

"About what?" Leon asked, raising his brows. His heart tightened as the ominous sense of premonition surged to a terrifying intensity.

"I went to the royal palace, and the situation there is extreme. I know I told you that as long as you followed your academy's lead, you could even become a royal advisor, but that seems impossible now." 

Truman sighed, a lingering pity in his expression. 

Leon paused, his eyes fixed on him. 

"I chose to study under you not because I wanted the vain position of an advisor but because I truly wanted to learn and gain knowledge from you." 

Truman looked at Leon with appreciative eyes. 

"You truly are one of the best students I have tutored." 

"Who are the others?" 

"Haha, he has gone far into another kingdom. It's not worth mentioning." 

"Hmm, so what happened in the castle?" 

"The King is on the verge of death, and he's being challenged. If the challenger wins, he will become the new king of the palace, and you all…" He glanced at Leon, "will be homeless." 

"I see." Leon nodded calmly. 

"You don't seem surprised at all." 

Truman glanced around. 

"I have learned and been educated enough to understand my surroundings. Over the years, I have gained much knowledge from you, and I shall remember it in my heart." 

Leon stood up and bowed his head. 

Truman let out a sigh, his gaze fixed on the open grounds beyond the paper window. His face remained expressionless as he muttered: 

"I once believed the pen could rival the sword—that words could carve through ignorance and reshape the world. I clung to the notion that the pen was the mightiest weapon. But in a world where brute strength dictates all, this pen feels fragile, feeble." 

"The pen is meaningless." 

Leon lowered his gaze to the floor, his head bowed. Then, without a word, he banged his head on the floor three times before leaving the room. 

Outside the academy, Fatty and Tina were already waiting for him. 

"What happened inside, Leon?" 

"Nothing," Leon replied, shaking his head as he walked forward. 

The two exchanged glances but followed behind him as silently as possible. 

With nothing more to say, Leon returned home. 

Before Leon could even reach the door, the uncomfortable feeling lingering in his heart surged to a terrifying intensity. 

As his hand stretched toward the door, he caught the faint sounds of rustling clothes and hurried footsteps from within. 

"What's going on?" Leon's heart grew restless, his ears straining as he focused all his attention on the sounds. Carefully, he opened the animal-skinned door and stepped inside. 

"This blindfold is so irritating," he muttered inwardly.

Leon couldn't see, so he had no way of knowing the state of the house—whether it was tidy or in disarray. Without sound as his guide, he couldn't even be sure if anyone was present. 

Just then, a flicker of black light appeared before Leon: 

[Congratulations! Sage Candidate, you have mastered the [Echo of the Five Senses], unlocking your second skill within this world.] 

[This skill holds the potential to evolve into a powerful rune or be integrated into the sub-runes and main-runes.]