[{"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-54":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},2312436,4518,"Chapter 54: Killing and the Divine","starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-chapter-54",54,"\u003Cp>Boom boom boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the wide corridor, the Gatugui trampled forward with its thick legs, relentlessly chasing Fang Shi from behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi’s expression remained calm; he only used Double Impact to accelerate when the Gatugui drew near.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each time, he kept just far enough to give the Gatugui false hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This repetition made the Gatugui increasingly furious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dessert slipping from its grasp was utterly unbearable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, the Gatugui’s eyes began to glow red, and a thin green ray shot out from them, straight toward Fang Shi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ve been waiting for this!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aiming while running is difficult enough, and Fang Shi’s movement was unimpeded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Combined with his high-perception warning, he easily dodged the death ray.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Gatugui could not unleash the death ray twice in succession, creating a skill cooldown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its threat to Fang Shi dropped sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crash!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Double Impact】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi turned and charged back, swinging his longsword at the Gatugui’s neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During his prior running, he had already closed the distance to about three meters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This sudden turn caught the Gatugui off guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In previous battles, it had always stayed rooted, attacking only with its tail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whenever Fang Shi circled slightly ahead of it, it would spin around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To bring Fang Shi back into its attack range.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the Gatugui was inside the circle and Fang Shi was outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how he circled, Fang Shi could never break in—its attacks were flawless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this tactic was useless while running.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Added to that, Fang Shi had already neutralized its death ray.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, the Gatugui had no means to attack Fang Shi except biting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But biting was useless—even unable to force Fang Shi to reposition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the Gatugui’s neck joints were stiff and its muscles too sparse to move flexibly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time Fang Shi charged in, the Gatugui’s head had barely turned ninety degrees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was its limit; a full 180-degree turn was impossible—that was the domain of dragons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, its four limbs were like pillars, inherently inflexible like claws.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And its neck was too long and slender, leaving a gap between its body and head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That gap was just enough for Fang Shi to strike without colliding with the Gatugui’s body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Slashing attack initiated.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Target received fatal damage.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You dealt 12 points of damage to the target.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crash!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A massive head slammed to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi had cleaved the Gatugui’s neck clean in two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was only because the Gatugui’s neck was so thin; had it been an elephant of equal height.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi’s strike would have gotten stuck halfway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is the awkwardness humans face against large creatures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes you’ve pierced the defense, yet the weapon is too small to sever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it doesn’t matter—once he reaches level 6 and can use sword qi, this situation will improve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, the decapitated Gatugui did not die instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its body still carried vitality, driven by residual neural signals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It surged forward relentlessly, its tail whipping like a whip, cracking with explosive sounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too bad—all of it was merely dying thrashing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the severed neck, blood gushed skyward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a high-pressure hose, it sprayed across the corridor, pooling into small puddles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Fang Shi was drenched, his entire body crimson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood dripped continuously from his clothes, making him look like a bloodthirsty demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Target deceased.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Extracting target’s soul energy. You gain 462 experience points, 46.2 survival points.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Detection: Player has reached level 5.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>»\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You have obtained partial information on the advanced class Earth Sword Saint.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You have obtained partial information on the advanced class Death Sword Saint.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Death Sword Saint?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What does this class do?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Does every attack count as a Death Point?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if I face a monster immune to physical toughness?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or could it one day elevate the concept of death to all things?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right now, Fang Shi was deeply curious about all advanced classes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, he had realized his own strength was lacking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A physical class that only uses basic attacks has no future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, he relied on experience to kill the Gatugui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But next time?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not every monster is this dumb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not for the heavy experience penalty for dual-classing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi would have loved to become a Sword Saint and a Mage all the way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How severe was this penalty?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was calculated as the sum of your class levels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, a level 5 warrior wanting to dual-class as a level 1 mage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The experience cost wasn’t 1000, nor 1500.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was directly 15,000—the exact amount needed to level up at that moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This completely eliminated any possibility of exploiting loopholes through endless dual-classing and leveling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hope the next intersection brings luck.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi rested briefly, then continued forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t believe his luck was truly this bad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’d be better if I encountered something like Lion-Footed Hawkmen or Scorpion-Men.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Usually, humanoid monsters are strong in organization—but in mazes, they’re all solitary. Easy to handle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too bad, Fang Shi was wrong—terribly wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he was a hundred meters from the intersection, he did see a humanoid creature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its body was a churning mass of unknown substance, like a giant eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No head, one trailing tail, and four dull gray arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from being unsettling, it was undeniably humanoid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that wasn’t the main issue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The deadly part was the heavy pressure emanating from it—imbued with the aura of life and death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi’s limbs trembled; his mind was cold and calm, but his body’s instincts could not be suppressed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if fear was engraved deep in his genes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a tier-three monster!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No mistake—this feeling matched exactly the tier-three creatures he’d seen before his rebirth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even stronger, nearly approaching legendary status.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What kind of monster is this? I’ve never seen it in the Monster Codex!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The book seller is a fraud—he claims to catalog every monster in existence!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, these were just Fang Shi’s grumbling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew the multiverse was vast—no single book could possibly contain everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He merely wanted to ease his nerves, calm his body’s instincts, and hurry to flee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, there was a rule: monsters could not attack unless the player entered the intersection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, Fang Shi was certain he’d already be dead—even a hundred meters away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jiang Xian, look—there’s food here,” Zhang Di said, pointing to the branches on the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The endless maze was not empty; occasionally, stone steles, plants, weapons, and soil would appear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some speculated these might have been brought in by the monsters themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But shouldn’t anything a monster carries be confined to the crossroads?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could it appear on the path itself?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless someone had come here long ago and fought a battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Humanity from Blue Star was certainly not the first lifeform to use this maze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This fruit?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Xian leapt and plucked the fruit from the branch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a bright red fruit, apple-like in shape but only the size of a plum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can we eat it?” Jiang Xian asked, puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Di, unconcerned, reached out, grabbed the fruit, and tossed it into his mouth: “Who cares? When I was a kid in the countryside, I ate wild fruits every day—it’s all the same. It won’t kill you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He swallowed it in three quick bites.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A scream erupted from Zhang Di’s mouth; his whole body trembled uncontrollably, as if seized by epilepsy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fatty, what’s wrong?!” Jiang Xian grabbed him, stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I… so… good…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Di gritted his teeth, his voice a mix of joy and agony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What the hell is wrong with you?! You’re shaking all over—how could that be comfortable?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Xian suspected Zhang Di had eaten a hallucinogen; his mind might already be going mad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, you must eat the rest of the fruit—it adds attributes. Right now, it’s remodeling my body.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Di finished the sentence in fragments, as if expending all his strength, then closed his eyes and collapsed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Xian propped Zhang Di against the wall, uncertain and uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Logically, Zhang Di wouldn’t lie to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Zhang Di’s condition was utterly abnormal—words spoken in such a state were questionable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Jiang Xian decided to wait, to see when Zhang Di woke up and ask him exactly what had happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Jiang Xian could wait for Zhang Di to awaken, a cold male voice came from his right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Xian turned hastily and saw a man standing not far off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man was drenched in blood, gripping a dark red longsword, his face resolute and cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a demon from hell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Xian’s heart chilled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When had he arrived? Why hadn’t he heard footsteps?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fear gripped him; he quietly tugged at Zhang Di, preparing to rise, fearing this might be an unknown monster within the maze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man seemed to sense Jiang Xian’s fear and said calmly: “Don’t be afraid. I’m human too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Xian stammered: “Y-you… how… prove… demons… can… say… they’re… human…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man—Fang Shi—said simply: “No proof needed. I’m just curious about you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After doubling back from the fourth crossroad, Fang Shi found he had only one path left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two he had already taken; one was the path Jiang Xian and Zhang Di had taken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi avoided the last one because if two weaklings were still alive,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the likelihood of a high-level monster there was low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he took the final path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But halfway through, he discovered Jiang Xian and the other sitting nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And when he saw Jiang Xian, a sudden unease struck him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following the principle of self-preservation, Fang Shi decided to slip away quietly—no trouble, no risk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the farther he walked, the heavier that unease became.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if leaving was the true path to death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Fang Shi decided to find out what was going on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Curious? What’s there to be curious about? I’m just an ordinary guy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Xian found Fang Shi’s words strange—he had no special talents beyond DIY, and his life was utterly plain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You are ordinary indeed. But what’s inside you is anything but.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi shouted: “Come out! What do you want?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he spoke, an anomaly erupted!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Golden light began pouring from Jiang Xian’s body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He now looked like a different person—his expression solemn and divine, pupils golden, supreme and cold, gazing down upon Fang Shi with disdain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mortal, why do you call me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Divine Descent!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was something Fang Shi had never anticipated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had assumed something hidden within Jiang Xian might be a ghost or a malevolent entity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But never a deity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was simple: other worlds had deities—but Blue Star absolutely did not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a decree, issued by some great power,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>engraved within the Ocean of Primordial Force, to be revealed to the world by legendary heroes in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the endless maze. The Trial Tower. Not Blue Star!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Which Your Majesty are you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi forced out the words, struggling against the trembling in his soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The deity’s pressure affected not just the body, but the soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing a third-rank monster, Fang Shi could keep his mind steady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But facing a deity, it was excruciating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t even the deity’s true form—not even a true avatar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Merely a negligible projection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Xian spoke with divine authority: “Mortal, I am the sovereign of gamblers, the protector of adventurers, the guardian of half-elves, the embodiment of luck across the multiverse. My name is Tymora.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tymora—the Luck Goddess, the deity who governed fortune across the multiverse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All matters of luck fell under her dominion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So it’s the Lady of Luck. What do you want with me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi’s tone was neither humble nor defiant, yet he bowed deeply in respect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was not worship of a deity, but reverence for a superior power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t you call me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tymora’s voice was calm, her expression utterly still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi was speechless. Though deities towered above mortals, each had their own personality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tymora, legend said, was a bold, reckless, fickle woman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Women value face—it’s natural. I’ll give her all the face she needs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, she’s a lady—must show respect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a deity—a being far beyond legendary heroes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I called you, Lady. My luck has been terrible lately. May I ask what remedy you offer?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi was no fool. Since Tymora’s appearance, he deeply suspected his own misfortune.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Rune Hounds and Gato Beasts were tolerable—perhaps just low-probability normal events.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the final unknown third-rank monster? That was absurd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The maze’s mechanics didn’t work like this—no second-rank monsters encountered, straight to third-rank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And all this while Fang Shi was only level five—it was as if someone had shouted:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Luck Goddess wants to meet you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi guessed this entire scheme had begun only after he entered the Trial Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, on Blue Star, deities couldn’t even manifest a projection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the dominance of the attribute panel, someone had even become a priest of a deity—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and simply stole the power. Divine grace could be granted, but never revoked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How did Fang Shi know these things?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because in the future, a priest had committed sacrilege—and his power remained untouched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caused a great uproar and soon spread widely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet when the Lady of Luck heard Fang Shi’s words, the Jiang Xian possessing her smiled seductively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Naturally, Luck favors you.”\u003C\u002Fp>",2208,"2026-06-20T12:43:33.559Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","3d450d698510fa2b1be3f31927280e9bf694d9619aaaca64c908b7bb035f4770","starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-chapter-55","starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-chapter-53",109,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstarting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-cover.jpg"]