[{"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-40":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},2312422,4518,"Chapter 40: True Dragon Armor: Preparing to Return","starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-chapter-40",40,"\u003Cp>After Turs was reduced to ash, a field of gray light particles remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These particles, under the pull of cosmic law, merged into Fang Shi’s body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You have won the Equal Duel Arena.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You have received the reward of the Equal Duel Arena.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Drawing reward….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Reward draw complete.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You have obtained the special ability: [True Dragon Armor II].”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“[True Dragon Armor II]: Your innate armor equals your Life Level +1.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The data stream of the Equal Duel Arena ended here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi’s pupils dilated—he actually drew this ability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Turs, you really are a good guy, no, a good dragon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I thought you’d be erased by cosmic law, and using Full Revival later would be a waste.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I never expected you’d gift me such a powerful ability.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>True Dragon Armor is a unique ability of the dragon race.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is also the source of their immense defensive power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They do not need to wear armor like humanoid beings; as their biological level rises, their defense naturally strengthens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After reaching second rank, aside from armor crafted from special materials,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>no armor surpasses the natural armor of a dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Fang Shi harbored a doubt: dragons possess scales.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Combined with increased body size and thickened scales, their armor can infinitely improve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he was a pure-blooded human, with no exotic bloodlines—how would this ability manifest in him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this was not the end; another stream of data flashed across his attribute panel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Detected similar ability: [Innate Armor I].”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ability fusing….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You have obtained [True Dragon Armor III].”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“[True Dragon Armor III]: Your innate armor equals your Life Level +2.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately, a startling transformation began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ahh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi couldn’t help but cry out—he had intended to stay silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this transformation was excruciating, exceeding his pain threshold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the microscopic level, layers of dense hexagonal cells began forming on his skin’s surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a honeycomb, stacking into hexagonal columns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gradually, the change spread to the dermis and subcutaneous tissue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They fused with the epidermis, forming a powerful defensive layer covering his entire body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This microscopic transformation was undeniably excruciating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cells died within moments, then regenerated just as quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More agonizing and itchy than ant torture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet externally, Fang Shi merely appeared with skin blazing red as fire, sweat pouring like rain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like he had just endured a sauna.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Fang Shi could curse, his mouth began to ache—he couldn’t close it, only gape silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>True Dragon Armor’s transformation spared no part of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a man, the mouth was merely an appetizer; the lower body was the true trial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi collapsed with a thud, lying motionless as a corpse, too pained to move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only occasionally did his muscles twitch involuntarily during the great transformation, proving he still lived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He simply closed his eyes and endured in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After an unknown length of time, the pain lessened slightly, and Fang Shi finally opened his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scene before him had already shifted—he was back in the dim underground palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Crack! Pop!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi stood up, stretched his limbs, and his joints and muscles crackled loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The transformation wasn’t fully complete, but the pain was now bearable enough to move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, Fang Shi had already sensed the potential of this body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For during the Equal Duel Arena,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>under the influence of cosmic law, he had briefly possessed a True Dragon body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that form, he had used Double Force without damage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though True Dragon Armor was not a True Dragon body, it at least carried partial power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Fang Shi’s True Dragon Armor was Level 3—stronger than Turs’s—perhaps he could now use Double Force without damage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention the innate armor provided by True Dragon Armor itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This greatly enhanced Fang Shi’s defensive power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a world teeming with peril, this was especially vital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Armor was good, but it severely reduced mobility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reduced mobility meant reduced burst power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet without armor, he could only dodge when facing monsters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His margin for error was too low—if he slipped and got hurt, his combat power plummeted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that his defense had increased, his combat power surged accordingly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This meant he could employ riskier tactics, even trade blows when necessary to kill enemies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thankfully, this transformation didn’t grow dragon scales or anything—I still look the same.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Fang Shi didn’t mind if it boosted combat power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, before his rebirth, humans desperate to survive underwent far stranger modifications—he was numb to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But maintaining a human appearance was still preferable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if beneath it, he was now utterly different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet it remained proof he had once been human.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hurry up, are you even useful? Why are you so slow?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Xi’s eyes welled with tears as she gazed at the bald giant before her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the bald giant was unmoved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spat: “Crying won’t help. Finish today’s work before you eat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a gym coach, he had no shortage of women throwing themselves at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Xi’s modest looks, combined with her neglected appearance after being exploited by Fang Shi, meant nothing to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Zhao, we’re lucky—we actually found this treasure.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A young man with glasses beside Brother Zhao said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah! If it weren’t for Xiao Qian’s cleverness in extracting their secrets, I wouldn’t have dared this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brother Zhao grabbed a beer from beside him and gulped it down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though not chilled, in the fourth day of the apocalypse, it was a rare luxury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their group came from the same gym—either coaches or trainees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the apocalypse, they naturally banded together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And because Brother Zhao’s group had relatively high base stats,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>they thrived from the start, unlike other survivors who had to fight desperately to kill zombies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, they cautiously survived until the fourth day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But on the fourth day, heaven and earth changed—danger had become incomparably worse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their situation deteriorated rapidly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, last night, Fang Shi caused a huge commotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The traps they had carefully laid drew no Firewing Birds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having grown tired of hunting zombies, Brother Zhao’s group noticed this change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They realized something extraordinary had occurred near Fang Shi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the silent, pitch-black night, bird cries and crimson light were unmistakable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone in the group speculated that all the Firewing Birds had flown there, and the sky’s glow kept drawing more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That place must harbor immense power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Driven by the desire to band together for safety,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>they began cautiously traveling through the night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, there were no Firewing Birds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just a few corpses were no match for them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, just one building away, dawn arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first assault came; Zhao Ge and his group sensed something was wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They quickly slipped into the adjacent building.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, if they had only started traveling today, they would have been wiped out within a hundred meters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even so, to reach this building, they had lost five companions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then they met Xiao Xi and Zhai Yan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through communication, they learned what had happened yesterday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And they understood that Fang Shi had left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though Xiao Xi and his group had kept their guard, not revealing the purpose of the Firewing Bird corpses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Zhao Ge’s group weren’t fools—they couldn’t help but touch the Firewing Bird corpses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, this happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Xi and Zhai Yan got new superiors on the top floor and began their new day’s labor: cooking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Ge’s reasoning was simple: since you two are too afraid to fight outside, how can you avoid working?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the Firewing Birds finish eating, won’t they still have to go hunting?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s right—Zhao Ge’s group were going to hunt Firewing Birds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because they had long realized: in this apocalypse, only self-rescue matters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First came the corpses, then Firewing Birds—what enemies would come after?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If there were no stronger enemies, what use would the attribute panel be?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you don’t kill monsters and level up quickly, death is inevitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, they wouldn’t charge blindly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Humanity’s greatest strength is wisdom—you must prepare traps before beginning a hunt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, it’s suicide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Piercing Attack activated.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You dealt 3 damage to the target.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Piercing Attack activated.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You dealt 20 damage to the target’s energy core.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Target received fatal damage.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Target died.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Extracting target’s soul energy—you gained 210 experience points and 21 survival points.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this stream of data, the last Earth Elemental finally fell before Fang Shi’s hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After obtaining True Dragon Armor III, Fang Shi’s combat power rose another level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had already been able to face four Earth Elementals at once; now it was no issue at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi had confirmed that this body could now bear 80% of Double Force without damage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a qualitative leap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So eliminating the remaining Earth Elementals was effortless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Experience: 5352”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a pity—Turs was killed by cosmic force, so the kill wasn’t credited to Fang Shi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it didn’t matter—the dungeon’s completion reward was still coming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the reward was practical: experience points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exploration Rate: 110%”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially since Fang Shi’s exploration rate had already exceeded the maximum cap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he encountered the Giant Scorpion Bandits, his exploration rate had already reached 100%.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed the system judged the dungeon’s final trial to be the battle against the Bandits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Turs, he belonged to a hidden map—very few could face him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, after other Blue Star survivors entered as teams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their first encounter was with the Dogmen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Dogmen weren’t powerful, their traps were deadly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inexperienced teams easily fell victim to accidents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eventually, more and more Dogmen gathered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if one could avoid triggering Dogmen traps and sneak into their ritual hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Conflict with the Bandits was still unavoidable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The exchange between both sides was never one-sided domination like Fang Shi’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Fang Shi’s exploration rate was impossible to replicate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait. Rest until time runs out and complete the quest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi found a spot and lay down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Turs’s treasure—that useless junk wasn’t worth the effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most precious Summoning Ring was already in his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only regret was the vanished twenty-sided die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That artifact, capable of reshaping heaven and earth and creating at will, was truly a divine relic.\u003C\u002Fp>",1682,"2026-06-20T12:43:33.559Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","2561f97e4ccf6ed437582fa6dd198f2562067c05e230b4869402a33f8b235f2b","starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-chapter-41","starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-chapter-39",109,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstarting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-cover.jpg"]