Tomb robbing: I was Buried alive in the Mausoleum of the First Emperor, I Get Stronger by Looting Corpses - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Buried Alive in the First Emperor’s Tomb – Awakening the Tomb-Robbing System!

The northern foothills of Mount Li, home to the Mausoleum of the First Emperor, lay shrouded in oppressive silence. Deep within the underground palace, dim copper lamps flickered weakly, casting long, shifting shadows on the damp stone floor. The air was thick and suffocating, as though pressing in from all sides.

“I’ve been buried alive as a sacrificial offering! Damn that bastard, Huhai!”

Yang Yi cursed under his breath, his face contorted with rage. Just yesterday, he had arrived in this world. Before he could even grasp what had happened, he had been swept along with a crowd, forced down into the subterranean tomb. The moment they entered, the palace was sealed shut, entombing them all in darkness.

As scattered memories flooded his mind, a horrifying truth emerged. He had transmigrated. And the first thing that happened to him in this new life? He was buried alive. Not just anywhere, but inside the Mausoleum of the First Emperor.

In this world, he was a Mohist disciple—one of the craftsmen who had participated in the construction of this very tomb. When Emperor Qin Shi Huang died, his son, Huhai, ascended the throne as the Second Emperor of Qin. To ensure the secrets of the tomb never saw the light of day, Huhai ordered all those who had built it to be sealed inside, buried alive alongside the emperor. Yang Yi was one of them.

“It’s over… There can’t be a more miserable transmigrator than me.”

He reached into his robes, searching for any food, but his fingers found nothing. His last piece of húbǐng had been eaten long ago. Hunger gnawed at his stomach, but in this eternal darkness, time itself had lost meaning. He had no way of knowing how long he had been trapped here—hours, days, maybe longer. But it didn’t matter.

[Húbǐng (胡饼) – A type of ancient Chinese flatbread, commonly eaten during the Qin Dynasty. Similar to modern-day pancakes or stuffed bread.]

Death was inevitable. The only uncertainty was how it would come. Would it be starvation? Madness? Or would desperation drive the prisoners to devour each other?

Just as despair threatened to consume him, a voice echoed in his mind.

Ding! 

[Host detected within the Mausoleum of the First Emperor. The Tomb-Robbing System has successfully bonded with the host.]

Yang Yi stiffened. A mechanical voice, cold and emotionless, had spoken inside his head.

A system? His chest tightened, his breath quickening. Is this… salvation?

“A Tomb-Robbing System?”

His eyes flashed with sudden hope. But the excitement vanished as quickly as it came.

“System, you’ve picked the wrong person.” His voice was bitter. “What the hell am I supposed to do with a tomb-robbing system when I’m already buried inside the tomb? Even if I could steal the First Emperor’s Imperial Seal, would that fill my stomach?”

A hollow laugh escaped his lips. He knew better than anyone just how impenetrable this tomb was. Even if he had tools, even if he had all the time in the world, breaking out was impossible.

Ding! 

[Host is in a dire predicament. The system is now activating the ‘Corpse Looting’ function.]

[By looting corpses, the host may acquire items once possessed by the deceased, including wealth, supplies, and even life force and strength.]

Yang Yi froze. Then, a slow, disbelieving grin spread across his face. He had a way out. Just as the realisation set in, he felt several pairs of eyes shift towards him from the darkness. His moment of excitement had been too obvious. A deep unease settled in his chest, but after a moment, the others turned away.

Right now, everyone’s priority was survival. The food they had carried in was dwindling. Soon, there would be nothing left. At that point, cannibalism wouldn’t be out of the question. Either they killed and ate others, or they became someone else’s meal.

Yang Yi took a slow breath, forcing himself to remain calm. If this ‘Corpse Looting’ function worked as described, he could turn this entire situation in his favour. But first, he had to be careful.

“System,” he whispered, “where do the looted items go?”

If the items appeared directly in his hands, he would be dead within minutes. In this environment, hunger could turn men into beasts. If anyone saw him with food, they would tear him apart for it.

Ding! 

[All looted items will be stored in the system’s inventory. The host may retrieve them by silently commanding the system.]

Relief surged through Yang Yi’s chest.

“Good.”

Now, he just needed to test it. His gaze drifted toward a corpse lying nearby—a middle-aged man who had taken his own life, unable to endure the agony of waiting for death. His body had already been searched by the others, stripped of anything useful. Or so they thought.

Yang Yi knew what they were thinking. If there was anything valuable on him, someone else would have taken it already.

But he had the system. And they didn’t. Keeping his expression blank, he walked toward the corpse. The others shot him disdainful looks but made no move to stop him. Let him waste his time—we have already looted that body.

Yang Yi ignored them. He crouched beside the corpse, placing his hands on it as though checking for hidden pockets. Then, he activated the system.

Ding! 

[Congratulations, host. Corpse looting successful.]

Ding! 

[Congratulations, host. You have obtained:

• 10,000 flatbreads
• 10,000 jin² of millet
• A well of endlessly replenishing water
• 20 years of the deceased’s remaining lifespan
• 10 points added to physical endurance
• 10 points added to mental strength]

[Jin (斤) – A traditional Chinese unit of weight, approximately 0.5 kg (1.1 lbs).]

Yang Yi’s breath caught. His entire body trembled. This… this is insane.

10,000 flatbreads. 10,000 jin of grain. This wasn’t just survival—this was an empire’s worth of resources. If he ate one flatbread and one jin of grain per day, he could survive for ten years.

And the water… he had a well. A well that never dried up. Yang Yi clenched his fists, his heart hammering wildly against his ribs.

This system… is too powerful.

Lifespan, physical strength, mental resilience—he could loot all of it. He wasn’t just surviving anymore. He was evolving. Slowly, Yang Yi stood up. His gaze swept over the others, his expression unreadable. To them, he was just another doomed soul. But he knew the truth. They were already dead.

He just had to wait for their bodies to fall. But first…He needed to loot a weapon.