[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-sickly-cannon-fodder-spoiled-by-the-powerful-apo":3,"chapter-sickly-cannon-fodder-spoiled-by-the-powerful-apo-sickly-cannon-fodder-spoiled-by-the-powerful-apo-chapter-97":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Sickly Cannon Fodder: Spoiled by the Powerful Apocalypse Bosses",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},562848,814,"Chapter 97","sickly-cannon-fodder-spoiled-by-the-powerful-apo-chapter-97",97,"\u003Cp>\"Damn it, he’s doing this on purpose!\" Bill snarled, his voice rising. \"Let’s do this—smash the door! Once we’re inside, everything in there is ours!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words electrified the crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gripping whatever makeshift weapons they had, they struck harder, faster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang—bang—bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blows echoed through the stairwell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, Richard watched calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the timing felt right, he pressed a red button.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a soft mechanical click, a narrow slit opened above the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint stream of red smoke began to seep out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, no one noticed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, someone sniffed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What... what’s that smell?—Ah-choo!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sudden sneeze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, people were sneezing uncontrollably—four, five times in a row, their noses itching, burning, impossible to resist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What the hell—ah-choo!—ah-choo! Damn it—ah-choo!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One after another, they doubled over, eyes watering, noses running, their bodies wracked with relentless sneezing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any thought of breaking down the door vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The once-aggressive crowd dissolved into chaos—half-blinded, gasping, sneezing uncontrollably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even those further down caught the drifting red powder, joining in the miserable chorus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few, standing farther back, noticed the strange particles in the air and hurriedly retreated, managing to avoid the worst of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, Richard burst out laughing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not bad... this stuff really works.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Against a crowd like this, it was more than enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They wouldn’t recover for hours—maybe longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And without strength, how could they keep attacking?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One by one, people began to retreat, humiliated and coughing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first assault was a complete failure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Richard glanced at the now-empty stairwell and smiled in satisfaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they wanted to come again, he wouldn’t mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had more than enough \"toys\" waiting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as he stayed inside his safehouse—he was untouchable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Setting down his tablet, Richard picked up his phone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hannah had messaged him earlier—she must have heard the commotion too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Are you okay? They’ve already gone up—you need to be careful.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Richard, are you alright?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without hesitation, he tapped the video call button.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It rang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five seconds later, she answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her face appeared on screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hollow cheeks. Pale lips. A gaunt, exhausted look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She hadn’t been living well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once, that sight would have torn at his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now... It only pleased him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The once untouchable Hannah... reduced to this—and still forcing a gentle, ingratiating smile for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How satisfying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Richard... are you okay?\" she asked, concern painted across her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m fine. They’ve already left,\" he said lightly, rising and walking toward the fridge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through the camera, Hannah caught a glimpse of his surroundings—clean, bright, untouched by hardship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a split second, her expression twisted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she forced it back into softness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You... look a bit worn out lately,\" Richard said casually. \"Not eating enough?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hannah’s gaze flickered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She placed a hand over her stomach, her voice weak. \"Yeah... we’ve run out of food. I’ve been starving every day. Do I... look worse now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her pale fingers brushed her cheek, her eyes filled with feigned fragility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She meant to evoke sympathy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To make him soften.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe even let her move in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, Richard’s reply hit like a blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah,\" he said bluntly. \"You look a lot worse. I almost didn’t recognize you. You’ve gotten so thin it’s... kind of alarming.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her smile froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The humiliation hit instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had tried to appear pitiful and ended up being mocked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, she nearly lost control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Richard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That idiot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That former lapdog... How dare he?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She forced herself to steady her expression, swallowing the surge of rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Across the screen, Richard watched every flicker of emotion with quiet amusement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was exactly what he wanted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she could watch all this and feel nothing, thenhewould be the one dissatisfied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the more she burned with envy, the more it soothed him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m hungry after all that,\" he said casually, stepping up to the fridge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned the camera toward it—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Click.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door swung open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll just throw something together.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lens captured everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A double-door fridge packed to the brim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fresh vegetables. Bright fruits. Premium cuts of meat. Even a delicate little box of cream desserts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the soft interior light, everything gleamed—rich, abundant, irresistible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hannah’s eyes locked onto the screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her throat tightened as she swallowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her own fridge had long since become a hollow shell—powerless, empty, useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even a wilted leaf remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And here... He hadall of this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of life was he living?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Were they even in the same world anymore?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door closed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did she snap back to herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"R-Richard... you still have so much food at home...\" Her voice carried a trace of bitterness she couldn’t hide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is that a lot?\" he said lightly. \"You get used to it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He set the phone down on the counter, the camera still capturing his movements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll just make a couple of simple dishes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Water ran from the tap—clear, steady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hannah’s eyes widened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could still use water so freely!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a world where water had become precious beyond measure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jealousy surged through her like fire. She wanted to hang up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she couldn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Somewhere deep down, she still clung to hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had once adored her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe... this was all just to provoke her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe there was still a chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The oil hit the pan with a sharp hiss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The steak followed, releasing a rich, savory aroma that seemed to seep through the screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hannah swallowed hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Richard... you’re such a good cook. Are you making a boneless steak?\" she asked, licking her dry lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I remember... you made that for me before. It tasted really good. I wonder if I could still—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You didn’t like it,\" Richard cut in. \"I remember you threw it away.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her expression stiffened. \"I... I just—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s not talk about the past.\" He lifted a finished piece toward the camera.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Glossy. Tender. Coated in thick, rich sauce.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mouthwatering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially to someone starving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her stomach clenched painfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wanted it. So badly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Richard took a bite, then nodded in satisfaction. \"Not bad this time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He picked up his phone again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s enough chatting. I’m going to eat. You should get something too, Hannah. Take care of yourself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The call ended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in that instant—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whatever restraint Hannah had left... snapped.\u003C\u002Fp>",1036,"2026-05-30T15:23:36.944Z","2026-06-01T04:31:34.774Z",1,"novelbin.me","a598675712a218bd5300a7335ed333cc0b380b0ba0559810e0e3e63cb96661f6","sickly-cannon-fodder-spoiled-by-the-powerful-apo-chapter-98","sickly-cannon-fodder-spoiled-by-the-powerful-apo-chapter-96",210,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsickly-cannon-fodder-spoiled-by-the-powerful-apo-cover.jpg"]