Lieutenant Sian looked at Xiang Yu’s floating screen with all his vitals and live feeds. "He can handle it. If he can’t, then I will take the blame for it."
Xiang Yu had no idea that he had attracted a certain Lieutenant’s attention. He turned to Lian and Mei and said, "Have fun."
Lian and Mei, ready to tear apart some creatures, beamed with excitement. The simulation started, and Xiang Yu opened his eyes to find himself on a jungle planet with dense foliage, high humidity, and hidden dangers lurking in the underbrush.
The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and exotic plants. The sounds of distant creatures echoed through the trees, creating an eerie symphony.
Xiang Yu looked up, his gaze met by a canopy of thick, dense trees with barely any sunlight seeping through the small gaps. He took a step forward, his senses on high alert, and heard a faint snapping sound, like something was stalking him in the underbrush.
Spinning around with his plasma rifle in hand, Xiang Yu aimed in the direction of the sound. He remained calm as if he was born for this. He had slaughtered demons in his world hence alien creatures were nothing to him.
As if to confirm his thoughts, a small, chameleon-like creature with leaf-shaped skin that blended perfectly with the foliage appeared. Xiang Yu narrowed his eyes, trying to recall what this little thing was, but before he could remember, it camouflaged itself and struck quickly with its venomous fangs.
Xiang Yu sneered, his reflexes sharp. He swiftly took out his plasma whip, his speed unmatched, and struck down the leaf lurker like it was an annoying fly. In the observation room, Lieutenant Joel, watching the live feed, remarked, "Others at least need thermal imaging to spot that bothersome thing."
Lieutenant Sian glanced at the other live feeds showing cadets struggling with the leaf lurker. Some were wasting ammunition, while others activated their thermal imaging gear to find it. She realized Xiang Yu’s meaning. He didn’t even think the leaf lurker was worth wasting his ammunition.
Xiang Yu continued walking with great vigilance. His senses tingled, alerting him to another threat. Just then, a long, snake-like creature with vine-like patterns and scales fell from the sky, landing directly at his feet. It hissed angrily as if blaming him for its fall. Known for constricting prey and injecting paralyzing venom, it bared its fangs.
Without hesitation, Xiang Yu ruthlessly kicked the creature, sending it flying into a tree. Its blood splattered on the tree trunk. He thought that was the end, but five more slithered from the underbrush, hissing angrily to avenge their fallen comrade. Xiang Yu was annoyed. He cracked his plasma whip, the sound echoing through the dense forest.
The snake-like creatures lunged at him, but Xiang Yu was ready. He moved with precision, his plasma whip slicing through the air. Each strike was deadly, cutting down the creatures one by one. The jungle was filled with the sounds of battle, the hissing of the creatures, and the crack of Xiang Yu’s whip.
He soon stepped out of the dense foliage, annoyed and splattered with the purple blood of the vine vipers. The simulation was supposed to have nine creatures, yet he had just killed an entire legion. He glared at one of the camouflaged cameras in the trees, and Lieutenant Joel felt goosebumps. "Why is he glaring at me when it was the system that did it?" he muttered to Lieutenant Sian.
Lieutenant Sian, who had been standing leisurely, was now leaning against the console, watching with great interest.
Xiang Yu couldn’t catch a break. He found himself slowly surrounded by a dust-red mist that burned his lungs when he breathed in. Xiang Yu swore as he tapped the side of his face, and a respirator materialized, covering his face.
She decided to disconnect the live feed, but it didn’t work. She had no idea that Lieutenant Sian had already noticed the backdoor entry being used to livestream the feed and had taken over control.
Lieutenant Sian thought that whoever it was wanted the Republic to see the real Xiang Yu, so why stop it? Soon, the livestream numbers skyrocketed on StarNet, with over three million viewers and an average of twenty-six thousand new viewers signing in every second.
Peng Xiu watched in horror as she was hacked and lost control of the burner communicator. She swore angrily, banging the table, only for the librarian to gesture for her to keep quiet. Everyone in the library looked at her in shock.
She was always the virtuous and kind princess who smiled at everyone, yet here she was, swearing in public with a murderous look on her face. Wasn’t this her going out of character?
Meanwhile, in the simulation, Xiang Yu continued to fight off the creatures with relentless determination. He had no idea that his every move was being watched by millions. He was focused on the task at hand, his senses sharp and his reflexes quick.
Lieutenant Sian, watching the live feed, couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride. Xiang Yu was proving himself in ways no one had expected. "He’s handling it well," she remarked, her eyes never leaving the screen.
Lieutenant Joel nodded, though his expression remained cautious. "Let’s hope the system doesn’t throw any more surprises his way."
Back in the library, Peng Xiu fumed silently, her plans to humiliate Xiang Yu backfiring spectacularly. She had underestimated him, and now the whole Republic was witnessing his strength and resilience. As the live stream continued to gain viewers, Peng Xiu realized that she had only made Xiang Yu more popular. She had helped others make wedding dresses.
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