Typemoon: Starting Out as the Lion King's Personal Knight [426] (Patreon)

As a universal genius, Da Vinci possessed not only extensive knowledge of magecraft but also a top-tier understanding of science. She fully grasped just how terrifying Qin Shi Huang’s so-called magnetic beam was in terms of technological prowess. Leaving aside the technical difficulties, what Da Vinci really wanted to know was: Where did the magnetic beam originate from?

If it was a short distance, Alaric would have been able to detect it.

But if it were fired from a long distance, with such precise vibrations to transmit sound, Da Vinci was even more impressed by this Emperor’s technological dominance.

"It seems you already know who I am," Qin Shi Huang said, seemingly amused by Da Vinci’s amazement. "Go ahead, just say it."

"You are Qin Shi Huang, Qin Shi Huang, aren’t you? Did I get that wrong?"

Alaric glanced around, but the only thing he could sense was the gaze from above. He still had not located the source of the magnetic beam that Da Vinci was so curious about.

Thinking of this, Alaric asked, "Before we begin our conversation, may I ask where you are speaking to us from?"

"Right above you. Just look up and you’ll see."

Qin Shi Huang, never intending to conceal himself, declared with absolute openness, "Look to the sky, visitors from another world."

"The sky—"

Alaric looked up abruptly. Floating above was the gigantic structure whose name he still did not know, now looming overhead like the cold eye of Qin Shi Huang gazing down on all of Lostbelt.

Not only did it have the satellite function of capturing images, it could also strike targets across two thousand kilometers and use magnetic beams to transmit vibrations for communication!

Alaric still remembered what Qin Shi Huang had said earlier, that he could even transmit speech by vibrating someone’s skull, though he considered that too impolite to actually do.

Such precise control—Alaric could feel just how dreadful it was.

"That’s the Great Wall," Qin Shi Huang said matter-of-factly.

"Huh? The Great Wall?"

Alaric knew exactly what the Great Wall meant.

But no matter how he thought about it, it didn’t match the thing in the sky!

Qin Shi Huang laughed heartily. "Back when the Great Wall was still on the ground, it was the age when foreign tribes beyond Qin still existed."

The Great Wall was built as a defense against foreign invaders.

A thought crossed Alaric’s mind: "So now there are no more foreign threats?"

"Correct. The entire planet now belongs to the Great Qin. From now on, only those from beyond the sky could be considered barbarians."

Qin Shi Huang continued, "But waiting until the barbarians invade before taking precautions would be too late. So I have consolidated my defenses in advance. Even with the proud construction skills of Qin, it took three centuries to complete this, and now the Wall is far longer than before.

To be precise, it should be called the 131,424-li Great Wall, but that’s too long a name, so we simply call it the Great Wall."

"Uh... Where do I even start with this?" Da Vinci’s expression was tangled. Everything about Qin Shi Huang’s introduction felt off, yet she couldn’t find the right words to complain.

Not only did he control the entire planet, he’d been launching satellites for centuries, constructing the Great Wall in low Earth orbit, and equipping it with such functions.

The Great Qin’s technological level far surpassed Da Vinci’s expectations.

Alaric’s focus was different from Da Vinci’s. Though shocked by Great Qin’s technology, what struck him most was the complete mastery over the planet, eliminating the existence of external threats.

Not only were there no external enemies, even internal conflict likely no longer existed.

Qin Shi Huang’s rule was flawless; with the Great Wall’s incredible information-gathering abilities, there were no blind spots in the world for him.

And with the power to command an entire world, Qin’s military strength must be overwhelming—

Too perfect.

Under Qin Shi Huang’s governance, the world was already unified: no conflict, no suspicion, no suffering.

A world that revolved for the sake of a single person.

And in doing so, it lost all its variety and possibility.

Is this why it was pruned?

Alaric gazed at the Great Wall above, stunned by this world.

"If Qin faces any crisis in the future, I suppose the greatest threat would be an alien invasion," Qin Shi Huang said. "But this mysterious phenomenon was beyond my expectations—like a cumulonimbus cloud forming an absolute barrier around the Lostbelt. No, it’s no longer just a cloud.

Even the section of the satellite-orbit Great Wall that passes through the clouds has become unresponsive, and now it can only function over the Lostbelt.

The radiance of my authority, once spread across the world, is now blocked by that detestable storm. The world is once again shrouded in chaos and darkness.

This cannot stand. Without my rule, the people will return to chaos and violence. I must restore Great Qin’s peace and harmony to the whole world."

"Are you planning to leave the Lostbelt?" Alaric asked, understanding Qin Shi Huang’s intent. "But as the king of the Lostbelt, don’t you have the power to expand it?"

"Oh? You’re talking about the pruned phenomena that Kirschtaria spoke of? Such idle talk is hardly worth my interest," Qin Shi Huang replied coolly. "If you keep repeating such nonsense, you’ll only bore me.”

As the sole ruler of the planet, Qin Shi Huang would not rely on others’ words, but only on what he saw with his own eyes.

A true absolute monarch—he was the axis around which the world revolved.

"Why are you outsiders so evasive about the outside world? Guessing at the truth is pointless," Qin Shi Huang said. "I will witness the world beyond the storm myself and make my own judgment. For that, I must find a way to cross this untouchable storm.

You were able to pass through a storm that repels all physical interference. I suppose your only option was to invade imaginary space? Am I wrong?"

"Incredible, you got it on the first try!" Da Vinci exclaimed. If not for SiAlaric’s special contract with the Alien God, they could only have crossed the storm via imaginary number navigation.

Qin Shi Huang’s precise deduction of their method amazed Da Vinci; his wisdom and composure were truly formidable.

"The theory is guessable, but I have no idea how it works in practice. This is how you crossed the storm, isn’t it?"

With total surveillance over all of the Lostbelt, Qin Shi Huang had clearly witnessed Alaric and Da Vinci’s passage through the storm, leading to this deduction.

"Before answering that, Your Majesty, do you mind continuing this direct conversation with us?" Da Vinci asked after a pause. "For someone of your stature, isn’t it more customary to use intermediaries or proxies, not meet face to face?

Normally, rulers draw clear lines to emphasize the difference in status, avoiding direct meetings with the lowly. Isn’t that how it’s usually done?"

To be honest, Da Vinci couldn’t quite understand why Qin Shi Huang would interact with them directly.

They had only been in the Chinese Lostbelt for a few hours and hadn’t revealed much.

Even with surveillance over the entire region, there wasn’t much for Qin Shi Huang to observe.

Yet, he chose to speak with them in person.

Though Da Vinci suspected that one reason was their possible ability to traverse imaginary space, it felt like there was more to it.

No matter how she thought about it, Qin Shi Huang’s intentions remained unfathomable.

"So that’s how it is. In your world, all rulers must hide their true face to avoid exposing their flaws?" Qin Shi Huang declared, "Does the sun avoid the gaze of all? Does the moon hide itself? No, I am the Son of Heaven, reigning over the people like the sky itself. Therefore, I permit all to pay homage.

Just as the sun shines equally over the land, I grant everyone the honor of gazing upon me.

Though, if the sun looked no different from the commoners, perhaps it would be necessary to highlight the difference."

"So—in other words…" Da Vinci looked up at the Great Wall in the sky. "You don’t mind us seeing your true form?"

"Hmm? Why do you keep repeating that?" Qin Shi Huang said, puzzled. "Haven’t you already gazed upon me to your heart’s content?"

"Eh?"

Da Vinci was perplexed. None of her drone footage had captured anyone special.

When did she see Qin Shi Huang?

"But you can’t see with the naked eye due to the horizon. That thing," Qin Shi Huang said, "you used some kind of mechanical bird to observe me, didn’t you? Our gazes met several times."

"No way!"

Realizing something, Alaric and Da Vinci exchanged glances.

In the footage of Da Vinci had captured, Qin Shi Huang must have appeared.

Combined with his “sun” metaphor...

"No way!" Da Vinci was stunned. "Don’t tell me, at the center of satellite—"

"Yes, that is me," Qin Shi Huang replied. "Abandoning my mortal, decaying body, I replaced my authority entirely with machinery—this is my sacred form.

Since then, just like my nation, after 2,200 years of expansion, I can no longer even stand upon the earth.

Yet, this form, which makes my majesty clear at a glance, is the easiest for my people to understand.

I am the first and ultimate Emperor, the absolute, eternal ruler of all under heaven—Qin Shi Huang."

The transmission ended—or perhaps, it was simply ended unilaterally by Qin Shi Huang. He also permitted Alaric and Da Vinci an audience, granting them leave to see his sacred form and pay homage.

Inside the car, Alaric casually found a seat and crossed his legs, then asked Da Vinci, "Lady Da Vinci, what do you think of Qin Shi Huang’s level of technology?"

"Standing up to it, it’s utterly terrifying."

Inside the expanded space of the vehicle, Da Vinci rummaged through her stash of secret gadgets she didn’t remember making, and replied, "Achieving a neural-mechanical revolution in the BC era, attaining an immortal body—did he do it all alone? If so, that’s even more impressive.

And the Great Wall built over three centuries is especially frightening. It can fire magnetic beams from two thousand kilometers away—and that’s not even its maximum power. Any more, and it’d be indistinguishable from a laser weapon; it could probably crack open someone’s skull directly!"

She made an exaggerated gesture at Alaric.

"That’s super dangerous."

No longer feeling Qin Shi Huang’s gaze, Alaric leaned against the window and gazed up. "By the way, Lady Da Vinci, do you think he can hear us talking inside?"

After all, using magnetic beams to vibrate objects for sound was one thing, but Alaric couldn’t figure out how Qin Shi Huang could actually capture sound.

Reading lips, maybe?

"Well, being monitored from orbit is scary," Da Vinci nodded knowingly. "But it’s only that level of peeping. As long as we’re indoors and watch out for heat sensors and such, he shouldn’t be able to hear us unless we shout outside.

I tried cursing him out in the driver’s seat earlier. That much I can guarantee, hehe."

Da Vinci, squatting on the floor, stuck out her tongue at Alaric.

Alaric stroked his chin. So, the sense of being watched inside the vehicle was because Qin Shi Huang had increased the Great Wall’s power?

Regardless, Qin Shi Huang’s grasp of the Lostbelt was unshakeable—Alaric couldn’t try any of the magical rituals he’d used in the Russian Lostbelt.

But being unable to inscribe a magical ritual was no longer a problem.

Ever since Alaric began his coronation in Russia, his path had broadened; the road ahead was no longer a narrow trail, but a wide avenue.

So not being able to use magic rituals wasn’t a big issue for him.

"Next, we’ll have to pay our respects to Qin Shi Huang. He’s waiting for us," Alaric mused, resting his chin on his hand. "Lady Da Vinci, just what level is this Emperor’s Noble Phantasm?"

"That’s hard to say," Da Vinci said, standing with a troubled look. "Unlike Ivan the Terrible, who was struggling, Qin Shi Huang is an Emperor who’s finished his rule. Under him, the planet is already a completed state.

At the very least, his military power is enough to conquer the world—"

"That’s true," Alaric noted as he saw Da Vinci come up empty-handed. "Didn’t find what you were looking for?"

"Nope, seems I forgot to make one?" Da Vinci replied. "I was looking for some magical cloak to block Qin Shi Huang’s surveillance—a simple barrier, basically. It should work in the Chinese Lostbelt.

I think I made something similar a while ago, and it works fine. Never mind, I’ll just make another later."

She didn’t dwell on it, and turned to the driver’s seat. "We’re heading for Xianyang City next, right? This is the heart of the enemy—unlike Russia, where you only observed Ivan the Terrible a few times while sneaking around. This time is different."

"This is a conscious Emperor, who’s reached the technological peak of the world. That sacred form alone is terrifying—"

Vrrrm.

As Da Vinci started up the vehicle, she warned solemnly, "Xianyang City and the sacred form serve as both Qin Shi Huang’s body and fortress. The security level is so high, it might even be able to withstand Noble Phantasms targeting cities. Be careful."

"Relax. Even if the Great Wall in the sky crashes down, I’m confident I can fight back—"

Alaric smiled. "It’s not good to brag, but I do like to boast only when I know the gap between us. Still, I can claim this: all things can be killed, all things have an end—death."

As Alaric and Da Vinci set off for their audience, back in Xianyang City—

…

Inside Epang Palace, the grand central control room was full of massive neural units, glowing brilliantly.

Just standing inside, one would feel an invisible pressure.

"Akuta, another visitor from another world has arrived. Do you have anything to say?"

Qin Shi Huang’s voice echoed from all directions, startling the refined young woman—news she was only just learning.

If not for Qin Shi Huang mentioning it, she wouldn’t have known anyone else had arrived.

Who was it?

Chaldea?

"Your Majesty, who’s entered the Lostbelt? Is it Chaldea?"

The hidden Akuta Hinako quickly asked, "Chaldea is our enemy, as well as yours, and poses a threat to the peace of the Qin Empire."

"See for yourself, Akuta," Qin Shi Huang said, making no attempt to hide it, projecting the image of the off-road vehicle racing through the wheat fields, even showing both Alaric and Da Vinci’s perspectives.

Wearing black-rimmed glasses, her pale gray twin-tails hanging down to her ankles, Akuta Hinako frowned slightly at the sight of the pair. "Your Majesty, these two could be called Chaldea members. The woman is a Heroic Spirit under Chaldea’s command—"

Akuta had never interacted with Alaric, nor even considered it, but she had dealt with Da Vinci before.

Thus, she knew how troublesome her opponent was.

At this moment, Akuta still didn’t know what had happened in Russia. She only knew that Da Vinci would definitely act for Chaldea.

As for Alaric, to her he seemed like an apostle of the Alien God; Akuta couldn’t fathom his intentions.

In her mind, the best outcome would be for Qin Shi Huang to drive both of them out, or destroy them.

Eliminate all factors that could affect the Lostbelt.

Akuta would allow no interference.

"I see. Quite impressive indeed," Qin Shi Huang said calmly after hearing Akuta’s explanation. "Summoning the souls of heroes recorded in history and commanding them.

A Master, is that the term? Hard to understand. Do you really expect such a small force to overturn my unshakable rule? Unbelievable."

Could a handful of Heroic Spirits really overthrow his rule?

Qin Shi Huang would not believe it. To surpass him in military force, one would need a civilization that could rival his empire.

"Your Majesty, never underestimate Heroic Spirits," Akuta said. "Those summoned to the Throne of Heroes, tasked with preserving human order, are granted great power. Each is a warrior worth a thousand men."

"Oh, you mean that—uh, Alaya, or whatever? The collective will of humanity?" If Qin Shi Huang still had a human body, he would have raised an eyebrow. "I know nothing of such topics. Are such tales really taken seriously where you’re from?"

A laughable theory.

For an Emperor who had unified the planet, a world that needed such things to survive was far too weak.

"Your Majesty is right. Compared to your rule, my world is incomplete and chaotic," Akuta replied calmly.

"As expected. To go so far as to revive dead Heroic Spirits and command them—such roundabout antics are laughable."

Qin Shi Huang mused, "How does such an unstable world even survive?"