Chapter 34 — Artificial Life in the Qin Dynasty?
The gate shimmered like something out of science fiction—a glowing oval of white light suspended in midair.
Even Xiang Yu's battle-hardened soldiers were stunned. Some stared in disbelief, while a few remained eerily calm—as if they'd seen this anomaly before.
From the light emerged a hazy silhouette, gradually sharpening.
Then, figures stepped through—a squad of dozens, clad in sleek black armor.
Xiang Yu's men immediately drew their weapons, ready to fight.
Brünnhilde's eyes widened. That armor… it resembled Qin Dynasty military gear.
But something was off.
Traditional armor of this era was made of interlinked bronze or iron plates—covering only the chest and shoulders.
These soldiers, however, wore full-body suits of smooth, jet-black metal. Not pieced together—but molded in streamlined segments that hugged the body.
"This material…"
Brünnhilde recognized it instantly. No metallurgy of this era could produce such armor. It would take a thousand years of advancement to forge something like this.
Even then, such gear would be reserved for generals—not mass-produced for foot soldiers.
Yet every member of this squad wore it.
She spotted the Qin insignia on their armor and banners.
But the most shocking thing was the gate itself.
It looked like a magical construct—what the East might call immortal arts—but it also had a distinctly technological aura.
What lay on the other side? A hidden realm? Another dimension like Solomon's?
Only by crossing it could one know.
But if these were Qin soldiers… why were they saluting Xiang Yu? As if he were their superior?
Then came the crates.
Xiang Yu approached one and struck it with his palm.
With a thunderous crack, the wooden box shattered.
Inside was a shrouded figure, cloaked in black.
A corpse?
Brünnhilde sensed no life.
Then—beneath the hood—two red lights flickered to life. Eyes?
Mechanical whirring followed. Cables burst from the figure's body, their needle-like tips lunging toward Xiang Yu.
"Ugh—!"
Lantigris gasped, covering her mouth.
Brünnhilde's pupils contracted. This was beyond strange.
Were those cables extracting Xiang Yu's brain?
The figure's body emitted mechanical sounds. Parts of it began to glow—like a robot powering up.
Xiang Yu's soldiers tried to intervene, but the black-armored squad blocked them.
Once the cables finished their task, they retracted.
Brünnhilde could now confirm—Xiang Yu was dead.
He still stood, eyes open—but lifeless. His heart had stopped.
Why hadn't he resisted?
He could have fought back. But he didn't.
Was it despair? Acceptance?
No. His eyes had shown no fear, no sorrow—only calm confidence.
As if everything was going according to plan.
Then came a voice—low and mechanical.
"St…op…"
The cloaked figure moved. Its motions were stiff, robotic.
It reached up and tore off its robe.
Everyone froze.
"Wh-what is this, Sister?!"
Lantigris was shaken.
"I… I don't know…"
Brünnhilde's voice trembled.
The figure beneath the cloak was Xiang Yu.
A twin?
Impossible.
This Xiang Yu had no heartbeat. His body emitted the sound of gears.
"A… a machine?"
Brünnhilde's voice cracked.
She trembled.
She had expected a normal human for her third candidate.
Instead, she'd found another anomaly.
This Xiang Yu was a mechanical puppet—a synthetic human.
He had uploaded his soul into this artificial body.
A truth so absurd it defied logic.
A sci-fi miracle—in ancient times.
Chapter 35 — The Empire Beyond the Gate
Xiang Yu had abandoned his flesh, transferring his soul into a mechanical vessel.
Why?
Was his body failing?
No. That wasn't it.
He sought greater power—and immortality.
Just as future humans might upload their consciousness to machines to escape mortality.
Brünnhilde examined the body. It wasn't purely technological, nor purely magical—it was a fusion of both.
Who had built it?
Did he receive help from Eastern immortals?
"Sister—look!"
Lantigris pointed to the river.
Far off, the water churned violently—something massive was approaching.
Brünnhilde's enhanced vision spotted it: a colossal serpent, surging toward them.
In the West, it would be called a beast. In the East—a yāo, a demon.
If they didn't flee, the wave would swallow them whole.
Was the creature hunting them?
Its urgency suggested hunger.
Xiang Yu sensed it too.
He raised his halberd overhead, twisted his body, and prepared to throw.
The air exploded. Mist formed around him—compressed vapor from the force of his motion.
The halberd flew.
It tore through the sky, glowing red-hot from friction, trailing a fiery arc.
It sliced the river open—parting the waters.
The shockwave reached the serpent.
Before it could react, the halberd struck—shattering it into bloody fragments.
This was the power of Xiang Yu's new body.
With one blow, he matched a demigod.
But that wouldn't be enough to defeat the gods.
Brünnhilde knew—this was only a glimpse of his true strength.
He had just awakened. That attack was a warm-up.
Her eyes narrowed.
More beasts were coming.
They devoured the serpent's remains and charged toward Xiang Yu.
Their eyes burned with madness—drawn to something within him.
A divine artifact, perhaps?
At Xiang Yu's command, everyone retreated through the gate.
He stood alone at the riverbank—ready to face the swarm.