[{"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-5":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},2312387,4518,"Chapter 5: Near-Power Singularity Primus","starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-chapter-5",5,"\u003Cp>Near-Power Singularity Primus\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Title】 The One and the Prime, the Clockwork God\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Alignment】 Lawful Neutral LN\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Power】 Previous Generation: Near-Power N → Dead (became a remnant soul)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Power】 Current Generation: Near-Power N (equivalent to Greater Power G)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Relations with the Gods\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Supreme God】 None\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Enemies】 Tenebrous (Orcus), Chourst\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Divine Realm and Church\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Divine Realm】 Mechanica\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Overview】 Singularity is the “god” of the Maizhong and Mechanica, possessing power equal to a Greater Power. Whenever Singularity perishes, it is replaced by a Secundi elevated from the Maizhong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One generation of Singularity once expelled and nearly destroyed Chourst, the Random Lord of the Slithering Toads; the previous Singularity died at the hands of Tenebrous (Orcus), becoming a remnant soul (Qilin).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Near-Powers\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the countless commoners of the multiverse, rising from the lowest depths to stand above all others is not unheard of. But unquestionably, the higher one climbs, the more enemies one gathers—and their time atop the peak will never be long. This cruel truth fails to deter every villain’s ascent; occasionally, a rare few lucky ones still reach the summit, clutching the handle of power and fighting to the death against all who follow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They reek like rotting corpses, saturated with the scent of divinity. You see, by climbing atop piles of corpses, they forged their names and tricked those beneath them into offering praise and worship. Of course, their power levels vary wildly. The weakest Abyssal Lord cannot be matched by the strongest bird among the Animal Lords of the Menagerie. But reputation can be converted into raw power. The more a certain old bird is known, the more likely it is to enter the domain of the gods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This old bird is not a deity, but it is not far from one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not all Near-Powers “wish” to become full-fledged gods; they feel their power is sufficient and occasionally deign to involve themselves with mortals. Yet regardless, all Near-Powers are dangerous entities—the best advice for any planar traveler is to stay far away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Singularity\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, Singularity—the Clockwork God, guardian of the Maizhong—is, in terms of power, equivalent to a Greater Power. (Though Singularity transcends gender, it is typically referred to with male pronouns.) The only problem is that most of its followers do not worship, revere, or even know of its existence. You see, each Maizhong knows only its immediate superior and subordinate in the hierarchy. Thus, only the second-highest Maizhong—the Secundi—are aware of Singularity’s existence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nevertheless, Singularity manages everything with perfect order. It is the embodiment of order itself, representing all that Mechanica stands for. Under its leadership, the Maizhong are expected to operate with maximum efficiency, advancing the ideal of order and spreading this structure throughout the cosmos. Singularity speaks only to its Secundi, yet its will permeates the entire Maizhong hierarchy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This guardian deity rules from the Regulus Clocktower, a vast divine realm within Mechanica. Singularity is typically depicted as a pool of energy or a radiant lighthouse—the source of all Maizhong, the hive-mind guiding every action. Information must flow up and down the chain of command, but rumors claim Singularity knows everything the Maizhong know (at least within minutes of their awareness).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When a Maizhong dies, its body dissolves and its energy immediately returns to Singularity. Then, it sends a signal elevating a lower-tier Maizhong to fill the vacancy; the newly elevated Maizhong’s former position is filled by an even lower-tier Maizhong, until finally a Monodrone is elevated. At that point, Singularity emits a new Monodrone from its self-sustaining energy bath, and higher-tier Maizhong guide it into its new role. Thus, the claim that Maizhong have no individuality is true—they are in fact extensions of Singularity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every time the gears of Mechanica complete seventeen cycles (estimated by the Guvners to be roughly 289 years), Singularity dispatches Maizhong across the Outer Planes. Though the purpose of the Great Modron March remains largely secret, the old birds believe it is to gather news of the current state of the multiverse. Fed by such information, Singularity and its bizarre, alien logic grow ever stronger. After all, knowledge is power—and it is said that nearly all the secrets of the multiverse are locked within Singularity’s mind.\u003C\u002Fp>",697,"2026-06-20T12:43:33.559Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","608bb4206a0c877f05cf4030d55d663a3274c7256c1b5bf59c7830cfb3eca5fd","starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-chapter-6","starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-chapter-4",109,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstarting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-cover.jpg"]