[{"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-23":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},2312405,4518,"Chapter 23: Night Battle Resumes: Crisis Descends","starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-chapter-23",23,"\u003Cp>“Tap-tap-tap.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi’s ear twitched as he was observing the energy core, hearing faint footsteps on the stairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned around and spoke to the empty staircase: “Hurry up, don’t dawdle—I need your help with something.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a flurry of hurried footsteps, Xiao Xi and Zhai Yan climbed up, faces full of resentment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Fang Shi’s voice, they felt little more than surprise at his strength—he’d single-handedly killed that giant bird.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when they heard he wanted their help, despair filled them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If only they hadn’t been so curious—now they’d walked straight into a trap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi guessed their thoughts and smiled: “This isn’t hard labor—it’s a huge benefit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Constant exploitation won’t work; if you want the horse to run fast, you’ve got to feed it night grass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These two may be weak, but for now they’re useful as laborers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What benefit?” Xiao Xi’s face showed no excitement—she deeply doubted Fang Shi’s words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It made Fang Shi feel helpless. Was his reputation really that bad?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d never lied to them—only slightly increased their workload.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, this labor wasn’t even significant; construction workers hauling bricks lived like this every day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All it proved was that Xiao Xi and Zhai Yan were overindulged—they couldn’t even handle this little hardship, utterly worthless as cultivators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the apocalypse, an organization—or a faction—is indispensable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the strongest cannot handle every task themselves; they’ll have no time left to cultivate and level up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At such times, a faction serving the strong becomes critical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They handle daily chores, consolidate resources and intelligence, freeing the strong to focus on cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like how Xiao Xi and Zhai Yan once moved supplies for Fang Shi’s leveling-up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi had already considered building such a faction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, he didn’t need to build one from scratch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His plan was simple: cultivate a few loyal subordinates who answer directly to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Order them to establish the faction, while he provides the necessary military backing—that’s all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most importantly, as a reborn man, he already knew who the key talents in the apocalypse were.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he gathered them all, how could his faction fail to grow?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Fang Shi knew not all so-called talents were essential.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some reached their level through luck, through opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why did such a small Peixian produce so many founding generals and high officials? Was it because Liu Bang was destined by heaven and talents naturally gathered around him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No—they were originally ordinary scholars and commoners, capable of governing a county.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Liu Bang waged war for years and expanded his territory, their responsibilities grew larger, their abilities improved, and eventually they became pillars of the state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What opportunity could rival Fang Shi’s as a reborn man?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he took notice of someone and revealed even a little future knowledge, he could grant them extraordinary fortune, spare them countless detours, and lift them from mediocrity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Xi and Zhai Yan had this opportunity—but in Fang Shi’s eyes, they performed poorly, so they’d only be temporary laborers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“See that corpse?” Fang Shi pointed to the firewing bird’s body on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Night was deep; the entire Blue Star had no electricity, and Xiao Xi and Zhai Yan’s physical condition was far inferior to Fang Shi’s, limiting their night vision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they first arrived, they’d only smelled the heavy stench of blood and been distracted by Fang Shi’s voice—they hadn’t noticed the corpse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though mentally prepared, they were still startled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The firewing bird’s body lay flat on the ground, its chest pierced by a massive hole.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood still oozed from the wound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did you kill this monster?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhai Yan phrased it as a question, but he already knew the answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He crouched beside the corpse, cautiously touching the terrifying creature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your job now is to process this firewing bird—cut it up like pork and cook a meal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But there’s no electricity—how do we cook?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi’s face darkened at Xiao Xi’s stubbornness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s your problem to solve. And is your brain made of pig dung? Can’t you think of a way?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhai Yan, however, stroking the firewing bird’s body, mused: “Brother, is the benefit you mentioned… this meal?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh? You figured it out. Smart. Yep—that’s the benefit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alien flesh contains primal energy—huge advantages for those with low overall stats.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This level-3 firewing bird is perfect—its meat isn’t too tough, tastes just like beef.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more Fang Shi spoke, the more confused Xiao Xi and Zhai Yan became—what were alien creatures? What was primal energy? What was a firewing bird? They wanted to know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the apocalypse had come out of nowhere, turning the world upside down in an instant. Humans, beyond struggling to survive, were deeply curious about this new world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was an instinct etched into human DNA—the very reason humanity stood atop the Blue Star.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Fang Shi showed no intention of answering them; his tone was impatient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He urged them to get to work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhai Yan noticed Xiao Xi was upset and whispered a few words to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surprise flickered in Xiao Xi’s eyes. She couldn’t help but reach forward and touch the firewing bird’s corpse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, eagerly, she began working.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Clang!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The firewing bird shot past like an arrow, its sharp beak clashing with the steel sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each burst of speed exceeded twenty meters per second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Combined with the firewing bird’s flame-infused attacks, the steel sword’s blade had reached over a hundred degrees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the hilt was fifty to sixty degrees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi gritted his teeth against the searing heat and kept attacking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This firewing bird was clearly different from the last—one size larger, roughly 2.3 meters long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either it had killed humans, or it was a prodigy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though its speed hadn’t increased due to its bulk, its strength had more than doubled—minimum 14 points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn, I hate monsters with elemental attacks.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fire is disgusting, ice worse, lightning and earth no better.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Without elemental resistance, the longer you fight, the worse it gets.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi mentally complained—but honestly, a single level-4 firewing bird was no threat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Level-4 versus level-3? Just more HP, higher stats, slightly stronger supernatural power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Fang Shi, that was merely a difference between ten strikes and dozens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It shouldn’t have led to such a stalemate—let alone the steel sword heating up this much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whoosh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Here it comes,” Fang Shi thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The steel sword snapped back, blocking the sound from behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Clang!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beak of another, slightly smaller level-3 firewing bird struck the tip of the steel sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi twisted his wrist, letting the beak slide along the blade, sparking a trail of fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simultaneously, he sidestepped, avoiding the level-3 firewing bird’s body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The firewing bird dove from above—its kinetic energy was immense; Fang Shi dared not block it directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Added to that, its speed was so great he relied entirely on his 19-point perception to defend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But precisely because it was so fast, its own 17-point agility couldn’t react in time—its attacks were direct and easy to predict.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that wasn’t the end—the level-4 firewing bird seized the moment Fang Shi’s blade struck the other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It lunged, aiming for Fang Shi’s eye socket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi remained calm, tilting his neck slightly to dodge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His left hand swung out, striking the level-4 firewing bird’s neck—CRASH—it was flung aside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the blow did nothing to the level-4 firewing bird.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It shook its neck and charged again, rescuing the level-3 firewing bird from certain death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was why the stalemate occurred—it wasn’t one firewing bird, but two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In combat, 1+1 never equals 2; humans only have two hands and two eyes. One more attacker means ten times the danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This ambush was classic: the level-4 firewing bird acted as the main attacker, tying Fang Shi down, while the level-3 waited for openings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the standard tactic for hunting firewing birds—now Fang Shi was experiencing it firsthand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The difference? Fang Shi was the one being hunted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Actually, Fang Shi wasn’t surprised. One-on-one combat was always idealized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the apocalypse, no human had ever escaped being ambushed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was even mild—before the first wave hit, firewing birds near the compound were rare; two attacking at once was already the limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If by tomorrow, two attacking creatures are merely appetizers, five or six are normal, and a dozen aren’t even many.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is why Fang Shi was on full alert for the first assault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Creatures like the Firewing Bird rank low in the other world, but on Blue Star, they are legendary raptors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single one can crush an entire survivor team; without effective organization, no matter how many humans there are, they cannot stand against them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single flap of its wings lifts it high into the sky, letting it strike from above with unstoppable advantage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the first assault, the number of Firewing Birds surged dozens of times, and they were no longer limited to appearing at night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such an absurd number poses a far greater threat to humans than the undead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sshh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another wave of attacks came, and Fang Shi finally found his opening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the Level 3 Firewing Bird lunged again, he spun and drove his sword straight into its skull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Piercing Attack activated.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Target received fatal damage.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You dealt 24.5 damage to the target.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Target deceased.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Extracting target’s soul energy. You gain 60 experience points, 6 survival points.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During these rounds of combat, Fang Shi had learned the Level 3 Firewing Bird’s attack patterns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through mental simulation, he predicted the angle of this next attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seizing the moment, he thrust his sword into the Firewing Bird’s head, ending its life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, this move carried risk—if he failed to kill the Firewing Bird instantly, even if he dodged its beak, he would still take damage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That would reduce Fang Shi’s combat power, possibly becoming the straw that breaks the camel’s back, leading to his death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before his rebirth, Fang Shi had survived three years in the apocalypse, doing whatever it took to stay alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He never lacked the courage to trade lives for lives; risky moves, desperate gambits—even if it left him maimed—he would use them if they broke the deadlock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only one remained. Fang Shi pulled his sword free and turned to finish off the Level 4 Firewing Bird.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But out of the corner of his eye, he caught a flicker of red—a torrent of flame surged toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s a third Firewing Bird!”\u003C\u002Fp>",1726,"2026-06-20T12:43:33.559Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","0709f9df0836f3b9035f3467b98b752caa1a3d8097a1a42f5e29416b196e5569","starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-chapter-24","starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-chapter-22",109,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstarting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-cover.jpg"]