Enraged Ahmed

"Huff!"

Ashoka exhaled violently while sprinting during daybreak.

His stamina and agility had increased a lot, but it didn't change the fact that running while making sure didn't use more than 50% of his power exhausted him.

'But something did change.'

The countless children that were running ahead of him weren't there anymore.

Thanks to his improved stats and the 'Dragon grimoire's system', there were less than ten trainees ahead of him.

{Pathetic. It's been so long, yet you still have so many insects ahead of you.}

'You should say that it's amazing how fast I've improved besides I can outrun them anytime if I use my full power.'

Draco was the same as always. He was always complaining, asking him to hand over his body even though he was the one who proposed the bet for Ashoka to win while using 50% of his power.

'I thought I could catch up to them soon enough, but those two are certainly different.'

Ashoka caught sight of Vikram and Ahmed running the farthest away. He knew it already, but they were on a whole different level from the other children.

Just behind them was his dear brother, Blondie.

'As I thought, he is indeed a genius.'

They all were born with the best talents, had strong willpower, and were properly educated by their family to never become lazy.

There was a twisted side, but it wasn't strange considering they were still children.

'Shall I run a bit more today?'

Ashoka kicked the ground, making the best of his mana circulation method.

He felt like his lungs were being torn apart like paper.

But he endured nonetheless.

"Wh-what?!"

"Ashoka!"

"Shit!"

The highest-tier children glared at him as Ashoka outran them.

Swoosh!

Vikram and Ahmed looked back, hearing the wind coming from behind them.

"Hmm…"

"…"

Ahmed frowned deeply, and Vikram's eyes blazed with newfound determination.

They turned back and started running again as if telling him to try following them.

'They are certainly different. However…'

Ashoka lifted the corner of lips as he watched their backs.

'The remaining time should be enough.'

Considering the rate at which he had been growing, he estimated that he would pass them in stamina, strength, and agility before the test occurred even while using only 50% of his power.

Although, if they used their aura, it would've been a different story.

'Aura…'

The children from noble families including his brother—had all learned how to train their aura.

Although they may not be as proficient as himself, it would prove difficult if they decided to use aura.

'The one I used before isn't too bad.'

Ashoka thought as he thought about the dark aura method Sage Chanakya has thought him.

It could be learned quickly, it was deceitful, and it was so sharp that it was excellent at assassination and fighting people.

'However…'

He couldn't become the best with the dark aura.

Since he decided to live freely without anyone to order him, he had to learn a better cultivation technique for his aura.

'And I'll need accomplishments for that.'

If he graduated first place in basic training, he was certainly going to get a reward accordingly and Ashoka planned to ask for a certain aura training method.

'The Supreme art of Abyss manipulation'

It was the aura training method used by the previous emperor which is only suitable for those that awaken dark attributes.

It has been staying in the royal treasury without use for nearly 50 years now.

And had decided to learn that method, but there was a problem.

The only one who holds the key to the royal treasury is non-other than the Emperor himself.

'My goal is clear.'

And there was no way the emperor would provide him the technique if he ask for it.

So Ashoka decided to ask for it after winning the training program.

The emperor would then have no room to reject Ashoka.

{What are you doing? Stop being satisfied with outrunning those insects and catch up to those two. I can't bear to see them running ahead of this monarch.}

Draco's turbulent anger agitated his emotions. A new message appeared as Ashoka kept running and withstanding it.

[Successfully withstood Drakorinith's interruption.]

[Stamina has increased.]

{Hmph. Again?!}

Ashoka nodded as Draco boiled with his anger.

'And I should make effective use of him, too.'

***

"That's it for today's training. Do your independent training now if you want."

Alberad left as soon as the afternoon training ended. He was humming and murmuring that he was going to drink.

"Huff…"

Vikram exhaled in irritation, watching his back.

'I really don't like him.'

He knew Alberad was called the Sword of the Emperor, but he behaved like a good-for-nothing.

He was just lying down watching when he was supposed to instruct, and he wasn't interested in the independent training, either.

Despite that, he was going to evaluate Vikram to see if he could be an official trainee knight. He looked like a grasshopper that only knew how to jump around.

He wasn't the only one displeased with Alberad, even Ahmed was growing while watching his back.

"Lord Ahmed, aren't you going to do your independent training today?"

While he was frowning at Alberad's back, Luz and the other noble children approached him. They had become rather close by now.

"I'm going to."

Ahmed nodded and grabbed his wooden sword. The pleasant weight in his hand made him smile.

"Let's begin."

"Yes!"

Ahmed and the other noble children spread out and started to train their swordsmanship.

Because he was so focused on it, Ahmed only stopped once the sun had completely set.

'I feel the most comfortable when I'm training with a sword.'

His irritation died down when he trained the swordsmanship his father had taught him.

"That's it for today."

"Yes!"

"Thank you for your effort."

At Ahmed's command, the children bowed respectfully.

Despite being the youngest of them all, he naturally became their leader with his position as the heir of the duke family.

"Follow me if you want to train further."

After putting down his wooden sword, he entered the indoor gymnasium and frowned.

'That guy.'

Ashoka was training his strength with equipment, and a few trainees—including Tishya, Vikram, Sudhatta, and the red-haired weak kid—were next to him.

"Huff…"

Ahmed breathed out his boiling anger. What annoyed him the most wasn't actually Alberad or the other instructors.

'Ashoka.'

That boy, who he hadn't been paying attention to because he was of the lowest rank, was becoming increasingly irritating.

Although he was the son of the emperor, he was nothing more than a bastard and he hated seeing him trying so hard to catch up to them.

Although he didn't show it on the outside he was very irritated by him.

'Why is he next to him?'

Vikram was as talented as he was, and was the son of Suke Sena, one of the two dukes of the Empire.

He couldn't understand why he would stick to Ashoka.

'Damn it.'

He'd thought of him as his rival, yet he was just following Ashoka around.

That fact was making him boil with anger.

Moreover, some of the other children that he'd thought well of were also following Ashoka around, which annoyed him even more.

"Please don't mind them. They are just impaired birds flocking together."

"They can't even do anything together."

The noble children sneered at Ashoka and Vikram, but Ahmed didn't laugh.

It was a fact that Vikram was way more talented than the children behind him.

"Tsk."

Ahmed clicked his tongue and entered the gymnasium.

Sitting next to Ashoka and Vikram, who were training their lower bodies, he started lifting a weight heavier than they were.

"Oh!"

"Amazing, Lord Ahmed!"

"How is he lifting that much…"

Everyone in the gymnasium exclaimed and clapped their hands.

Despite receiving gazes filled with admiration and amazement, Vikram's expression stiffened like the bark of a tree.

'Those bastards!'

Ashoka and Vikram kept training without even taking a glance at him.

Thud!

Ahmed dropped down the weight violently and stood up, but the two didn't even turn their heads. As if they were competing with each other, they were only focused on their own equipment.

"Kuh…"

Ahmed's face grew as red as an apple. He slammed the door open and left the gymnasium.

'Let's see if you can still make that face after I end up in the first place by an overwhelming difference!'

He thought.

***

It was after some days of training, Vikram noticed that Ashoka was working harder than everyone despite being the prince.

Maybe due to himself being a bastard son, Vikram developed a sort of sympathy towards him.

His initial image of Ashoka whom he thought of as a lucky bastard who got powerful using elixirs was washed off as he kept watching him train hard.

He noticed that Ashoka would be the first to enter the training room and would leave the last every day.

He was the one who did most training in the whole group.

Vikram was rather embarrassed that he judged someone without knowing them first.

One day he approached Ashoka, he didn't talk with him but just started training.

He was too embarrassed to talk with him.

But when he was thinking those things, a sweet scent invaded his mind and all his exhaustion went away like a lie.

Surprised at the sudden phenomenon, Vikram looked at the source of the smell and stood astonished.

It was coming from none other than Ashoka.

to confirm things, he got closer to him while he trained.

As expected, the sweet scent was indeed coming from Ashoka.

'What is this?'

Even though he was training, Ashoka could feel his exhaustion clearing away, he could lift much more weight than he could normally.

He looked at Ashoka with burning eyes as he thought.

'I must stick to him!'

And from that day, he was following behind Ashoka where ever he went, becoming the second stalked of Ashoka.

Ashoka was rather annoyed by the fact that his stalkers were increasing but he failed to notice the reason for it.

---***---