[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete":3,"chapter-starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-chapter-22":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Starting from the Apocalypse, I Alone Severed Eternity",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2312404,4518,"Chapter 22: The Energy Core: The True Purpose of the Breath Method","starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-chapter-22",22,"\u003Cp>“It’s over…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the rooftop, Fang Shi stared at the corpse of the Firewing Bird and murmured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before his rebirth, this Firewing Bird had hunted him relentlessly on the fourth day of the apocalypse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this life, it had died so easily in his hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in that environment, had Fang Shi been only Level 2, he could still have killed this Firewing Bird.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a good start—a perfect start!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The self of this life was utterly different from the one before his rebirth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No longer a struggling nobody, but a helmsman who had seized direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how much suffering lay ahead, he now had more choices than before his rebirth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t underestimate the Firewing Bird just because Fang Shi killed it alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Know that Level 3 is not the same as Level 3.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this Firewing Bird’s strength, ordinary human survivors would need a full team of Level 3s, fully armed and perfectly coordinated, to kill it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason is simple: even at the same level, differences in attributes, specialties, and skill properties determine combat power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even after attribute enhancement, ordinary human survivors remain at a disadvantage against otherworldly creatures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention that otherworldly creatures all possess unique supernatural abilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like the Firewing Bird, besides its normal attacks carrying fire damage,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>its internal energy could unleash fire three times, with a range of nine meters, inflicting 5d4 fire damage to the target.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An ordinary Level 3 human struck by this would lose most of their life instantly; those with low HP classes would die outright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even on Blue Planet, where primal energy is scarce and releasing supernatural abilities demands a greater cost, it was still enough for the Firewing Bird to unleash once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had it not been for Fang Shi’s swift, brutal assault in the battle, and his experience allowing him to predict the Firewing Bird’s movement path,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>he would not have reached the rooftop edge in time to severely wound it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This left it no chance to charge up, unable to launch its fire attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Fang Shi wasn’t afraid even if the Firewing Bird had launched its fire attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Firewing Bird’s fire attack could only travel in a straight line; as long as he kept watch on its beak’s direction, his reflexes made dodging easy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What Fang Shi found harder to deal with was the combo: using fire attacks to force movement, then striking with its talons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That combination was truly threatening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next, Fang Shi dragged the Firewing Bird’s corpse into the rooftop staircase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he began dissecting the corpse with his steel sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After some time of searching, Fang Shi pulled from the Firewing Bird’s chest a pearl-sized spherical crystal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After wiping away the remaining flesh and blood, the crystal’s full form was revealed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crystal was fire-red, transparent and beautiful like a ruby, with a tiny flame flickering gently at its center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this crystal, Fang Shi finally smiled in satisfaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was why he had gone to the trouble of retrieving the fallen Firewing Bird.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This fiery spherical crystal was the Firewing Bird’s energy core.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a trait shared by all otherworldly creatures that wielded supernatural power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of the Firewing Bird’s fire energy was stored within it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, Fang Shi had acted decisively and dispatched the Firewing Bird quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The energy within the core was still nearly full.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As an organ for storing energy, the energy core had many uses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could be embedded into weapons to enchant them, supplying corresponding elemental forces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or used as a material to refine metals, enhancing their hardness and toughness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could also be used to set up arrays, providing energy for their operation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it had one most widespread use:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>for cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The simplest method was to carry it, leveraging its natural tendency to release energy from high to low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Absorb the stray primal energy leaking from the core, using primal energy’s strengthening effect on all things to refine the body, cultivating passively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A more advanced method was to use the Breath Method to draw out primal energy from the core and cultivate actively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If confident in one’s digestion, one could even try swallowing it whole—the efficiency depended on digestive capacity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no matter the method, all were vastly more efficient than humanity’s old training methods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Primal energy had a better refining effect on humans with lower base attributes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even simply consuming the flesh of otherworldly creatures allowed absorption of primal energy, rapidly increasing base attributes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, as long as humans could kill a few otherworldly creatures and cultivate a few elite fighters, their strength could grow like a snowball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was why, after surviving the initial hardship, humanity quickly stabilized in the apocalypse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, energy cores were highly valuable—especially Fang Shi’s, nearly undamaged, one core worth ten others’.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fully charged cores were rare; most slain otherworldly creatures had fought long, exhausting battles, their energy long since depleted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cores harvested afterward naturally held little energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only a powerhouse like Fang Shi could achieve such a harvest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“With this energy core, the progress of the Fang Family Breath Method finally has a foundation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Otherwise, relying on ordinary food for training, how long would it take to reach the fourth level?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi felt joy inside—this Firewing Bird was a treasure trove, solving not only his cultivation problem but also providing food for tomorrow and the day after.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without electricity, the hot June weather had already spoiled the meat stored in the refrigerator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi didn’t want to eat only dried rations, chocolate, and packaged meats—he still needed cooked food occasionally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xiao Xi, did you see that big red bird?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhai Yan’s eyes showed a trace of fear, his voice trembling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Xi’s voice quivered: “I know—it’s far more terrifying than the demon on the rooftop.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why was this building left with only the two of them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because on the second day of the apocalypse, one bold survivor in this building\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>demonstrated his intelligence, proving that the undead could be manipulated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He persuaded the remaining survivors to join him in hunting monsters to level up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because Xiao Xi was too timid and refused to go out, the man didn’t force him when the group was just forming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Zhai Yan needed to stay with Xiao Xi, so on the second day, only they remained inside the building.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who knew that this single hesitation saved their lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They didn’t know what that group had done, but when they returned, it was night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And half of them were gone—they dragged their exhausted bodies home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what awaited them was death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten meters from the building, several large red birds descended from the sky and devoured the survivors whole.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flesh torn, bones separated, like vultures feasting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the commotion, Xiao Xi and Zhai Yan watched in horror from upstairs, their hearts turning cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before this, Xiao Xi had seen this beautiful creature circling the night sky, its body glowing with faint flames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the pitch-black night, it looked like a light—he had felt affection for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who knew that the more beautiful something was, the more cruel and savage it could be—the bird’s actions shattered Xiao Xi’s fantasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The apocalypse’s cruelty had not changed for humanity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, another beautiful monster appeared below—and worse, during their conversation, the bird flew toward their building.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Xi screamed in terror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though Zhai Yan trembled with fear, he stepped forward and shielded Xiao Xi with his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unexpectedly, the bird swept past them and flew toward the rooftop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It flew to the roof—that man is up there. Could this monster be heading for him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though exhausted, Xiao Xi and Zhai Yan had been closely watching Fang Shi’s actions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, they were weaker—they had to follow Fang Shi’s lead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if Fang Shi said he’d let them go, what if he changed his mind?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before escaping this hell, they still had to be careful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s perfect,” Xiao Xi’s tone turned excited, “two demons meet—let them destroy each other.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhai Yan shook his head disapprovingly: “No. The monster’s strength clearly surpasses that man—its speed alone far exceeds his, and this creature can even breathe fire.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Xi thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their horizons were limited; they couldn’t judge strength accurately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, Fang Shi had never shown his full power in front of them, and he hadn’t reached Level 3 then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They could only judge strength based on the Firewing Bird’s speed and supernatural abilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the brutal act of dismembering survivors had biased them toward the Firewing Bird.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Regardless, once the rooftop demon is dead, tomorrow you go lure the undead for me to farm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Xi spoke sternly to Zhai Yan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, alright,” Zhai Yan hurriedly said, afraid that if he hesitated, Xiao Xi would give him the cold shoulder again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bang!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A loud crash came from the top floor, interrupting the two as they spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It sounded like a heavy object had slammed onto the floor; the building’s poor soundproofing made it feel as if the sky were collapsing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both were startled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What happened?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Maybe they’re fighting?” Zhai Yan guessed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two listened closely and heard a series of heavy footsteps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then came a piercing bird cry, after which all fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, there was still some sound—but it was so faint it was barely noticeable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who do you think won?” Xiao Xi said uncertainly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Maybe that man?” Zhai Yan was unnerved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That final bird cry had been so agonizing that even though they didn’t understand bird language, they could sense its torment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After some discussion, it was the timid Xiao Xi who suggested going up to check.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was simple: Fang Shi wasn’t a murderous monster; they wouldn’t be in danger going up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the survivor was a monster, then there was even less to fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had already noticed the monster’s trait: it dared not attack humans hiding inside buildings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, they wanted to wait a little longer—ten minutes or so—before going up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe by then, everything would have settled.\u003C\u002Fp>",1673,"2026-06-20T12:43:33.559Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","884aa0c1e82301c39d0596e4f8137427402aed7665d8a4ecd3888758538de398","starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-chapter-23","starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-chapter-21",109,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstarting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-cover.jpg"]