The Prince of Heaven's Gate - Last Stand At World's End - Chapter 232 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon [Part 3]

In the King’s game, the [King]’s order is absolute and has the power to create rules. As the owner of a special physique, Gu Huai was selected by the system to participate in the game. “Win the game and become the [King], and you can obtain whatever it is you desire.”

- Description from Novelupdates

A good-for-nothing man married a beautiful girl but was kicked off the bed on the wedding night. Furiously, he wrote a bill of divorce and ran away.
He was schemed a car accident in which he nearly lost his life. However, it turned out to be a blessing. He swallowed the soul that passed through the outer world, thus obtained superb medical skills and martial arts.
Later on, with the silver needles and invincible martial arts, he embarked on the road of counterattacks and was committed to his great dreams.

- Description from Novelupdates

Kael, a reclusive and antisocial man, died alone in his apartment, consumed by frustration and regret. But his tale didn't end in darkness. Reborn in the unforgiving world of Eridoria, where the law of the jungle reigned supreme and apes were eerily absent, Kael found himself in the body of a lion cub with a unique bloodline.This was no ordinary rebirth; he was a lion unlike any other. Thrust into the complex web of pride dynamics and social hierarchy, Kael must navigate treacherous alliances, rivalries, and his own primal instincts. With a fierce determination burning within, he sets his sights on a singular goal: to claim the title of the ultimate King of Beasts.Warning: R18, incest, harem, neutral MC, violence.

My childhood friend went to the academy.