[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-starting-from-warhammer-to-raid-the-all-heavens":3,"chapter-starting-from-warhammer-to-raid-the-all-heavens-starting-from-warhammer-to-raid-the-all-heavens-chapter-24":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Starting from Warhammer to Raid the All Heavens",{"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},2277797,4456,"Chapter 24: What Is a Surprise? This Is a Surprise!","starting-from-warhammer-to-raid-the-all-heavens-chapter-24",24,"\u003Cp>The next day, Emerych entrusted Kris to Alvin and went out to work alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to him, today he was going to haul corpses to the tavern—a job he did once a week in exchange for one energy bar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The energy bars barely kept the siblings from starving, but they would never be full.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At dusk, Emerych limped back from the alleyway, clutching two energy bars; though badly beaten, his face still wore a happy smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy timidly offered one of the energy bars: “Mr. Alvin, if you don’t mind, you can eat some of this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the boy’s bruised and swollen face, his filthy body yet carefully washed hands gripping the cheap energy bar, Alvin fell silent for a moment, then took it: “Thank you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that the other accepted the energy bar, Emerych smiled happily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You... and your sister—how old are you this year?” Alvin broke the silence, biting into the energy bar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m twelve, my sister is eight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emerych broke the energy bar in two—one long piece, one short—and handed the longer piece to his sister, ruffling her hair: “Eat up, Kris.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kris obediently took the energy bar, still silent, swallowing it in large bites.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She... can’t speak?” Alvin asked, curious. During the day, Kris had curled up in the corner, stealing glances at him, but never answered any question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. When I found her, she couldn’t speak.” Emerych touched his dull yellow hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Found her? You’re not biological siblings?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now it was Alvin’s turn to be stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh, no, not really, Mr. Alvin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emerych shyly rubbed his nose, gazing fondly at Kris as he softly recounted the story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, Emerych and Kris had no blood relation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the winter when Emerych was eight, a gang war erupted in the Lower Nest, and scavengers became the most sought-after “commodities,” shipped off in carts to warring gangs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for what corpses were used for, Emerych had seen it long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, having starved for eight full days, Emerych could no longer bear it—he had to go out and find food.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, the freezing winter and hunger together would kill him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emerych risked entering the industrial zone, hoping to scavenge something valuable to trade for enough supplies to fill his stomach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he was lucky, he might even find two pieces of clothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clothes on the eight-year-old Emerych were old rags he’d picked up years ago, now nearly rotted through, offering no protection against the winter’s biting cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I remember clearly—I searched for a long time, from dawn till nightfall,” Emerych lowered his head, stroking the beloved sister in his arms, a warm smile on his face: “Then suddenly, I heard a baby crying—I found Kris there.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She was so small, curled up in the snow, her whole face frozen blue.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That winter, many froze to death. Logically, a baby couldn’t survive—but Kris was incredibly strong. She lived.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I believe this was a miracle granted by the Divine Emperor!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emerych gently hugged Kris, his face beaming as he scratched his head: “Mr. Alvin, am I talking too much? Sorry—I just suddenly... felt like sharing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, you’re great, Emerych.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hearing the siblings’ story, Alvin genuinely felt admiration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An eight-year-old boy, raising a child with no blood tie, surviving eight years in the Lower Nest—how many hardships had he endured?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh, it wasn’t that bad, Mr. Alvin,” Emerych, flattered, shyly rubbed his nose: “I just feel that Kris surviving was the Divine Emperor’s blessing—a gift bestowed upon me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That night, Emerych spoke much—about himself and his sister.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was clear he adored his sister, and constantly spoke of the Divine Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep into the night, Emerych hugged his sister, curled up in the alley corner, covered with several sheets of cardboard, sinking into deep sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In their dreams, the siblings clung to each other, lips slightly upturned—as if they’d had a sweet dream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alvin, curled up against the wall, felt he’d overlooked something—but couldn’t recall what.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whatever. It probably wasn’t important.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He drifted into sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the depths of his mind, he seemed to see again that pale, cold sun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“8!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A number vibrated within him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The third day had come—he was ready to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though their time together had been brief, Alvin felt deep sympathy for the siblings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he knew he couldn’t take them to the Middle Nest—even if he used the remaining gold bars to buy entry slots, he’d need at least three more days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the cult wouldn’t give him that much time—he had to reach the Middle Nest quickly, seeking power to break the deadlock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m leaving.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alvin stretched his stiff body, turning to look at the siblings in the corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, Mr. Alvin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emerych solemnly led his sister in a deep bow: “One day, we will repay your kindness.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A parting gift—I hope you’ll protect yourselves well.” After hesitating, Alvin handed them the old laser pistol: “This gun has aiming issues, so you must use it at close range. For now, avoid crowded places—understood?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was all he could do for the poor siblings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rest... was up to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alvin pulled his black cloak back on, bid farewell to the siblings, and walked straight out of the alley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“May the Divine Emperor protect you, Mr. Alvin!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind him came Emerych’s youthful, sincere blessing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Divine Emperor protect him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alvin couldn’t help smiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Emperor woke up, his first act would likely be to tear down the state religion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, in his heart, he silently wished the siblings well: May the Divine Emperor protect you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The situation... seems even more tense.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as Alvin stepped into the black market, he sensed a tense atmosphere in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, even when the black market was quiet, it had never been this desolate—barely any stalls remained, only a few scattered figures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cult’s expansion seemed faster than he’d imagined... Alvin took a deep breath and quickened his pace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knocked on the iron door—the same bald man greeted him, gesturing him upstairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tucker had his legs propped on the table, a cheap cigarette dangling from his lips. He glanced at Alvin: “You’re late.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was delayed a bit on the way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alvin removed his hood, hesitated briefly, then asked: “When I came in, I noticed the black market was nearly empty—what happened?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh, what do you think happened?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tucker lowered his gaze, sneering: “The Hammer Gang’s bastards are supposedly going to war with other districts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected—his guess had been correct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alvin sighed inwardly. The cult, wearing the skin of a gang, was expanding rapidly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words—he was running out of time!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I got the stuff you wanted.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tucker lowered his legs and pulled out a large bag from beneath the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the sound alone, the contents were heavy—the table groaned under the impact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Tucker unzipped the bag and laid out its contents one by one, piling them until the entire table was full, before stopping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Blast rifle—standard issue for Starborne Troops. A bit old, but trust me—it’s worth having!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Two fragmentation grenades—my best finds. Lethal radius: ten meters!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Three high-density compressed energy batteries. These are the cheapest and easiest to get among all these.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ten nutrient injectors, twenty energy bars!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And of course, the most important—standard-issue shell armor. Missing armor plates, covered in bullet scars—but it’ll stop regular bullets without issue!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alvin stared, dumbfounded, at the pile on the table, speechless with shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These things... were things a Lower Nest scavenger could get?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What is a surprise? This is a surprise!\u003C\u002Fp>",1259,"2026-06-20T00:45:41.385Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","9e38d96ddfe8cfd31ddaf8cc3524376c2aab219d6da09ef374940b5c9056a916","starting-from-warhammer-to-raid-the-all-heavens-chapter-25","starting-from-warhammer-to-raid-the-all-heavens-chapter-23",588,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstarting-from-warhammer-to-raid-the-all-heavens-cover.jpg"]