[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-warhammer-the-11th-primarch-the-black-emperor":3,"chapter-warhammer-the-11th-primarch-the-black-emperor-warhammer-the-11th-primarch-the-black-emperor-chapter-3":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Warhammer: The 11th Primarch - The Black Emperor",{"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},1510752,1962,"Chapter 3: Taking Over a Gang","warhammer-the-11th-primarch-the-black-emperor-chapter-3",3,"\u003Cp>A moment later, Nareth found an abandoned sewage pipe on the outskirts of Tizca's trash mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hive cities always develop from the bottom up. When humans first settle a planet, they establish communities on the surface. Over time, expansion occurs upward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Due to population shifts and other factors, most of the facilities in the lower hives have become abandoned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He crawled into the pipe, walking forward through sludge formed by industrial wastewater.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the five-person-wide sewage tunnel, Nareth proceeded about a kilometer before his ears twitched. The sound waves he caught painted a mental picture of a brawl involving hundreds of people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few hundred meters further, he discerned a chase, one pursuing, one fleeing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, a scream echoed ahead. The one fleeing collapsed, followed quickly by another scream as the pursuer also fell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nareth tilted his head, listening. Apart from those two, he heard no other signs of life. How did both fall?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moments later, he arrived at the scene. The two were already dead, he found both corpses floating in wastewater.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in the dim light, he clearly saw what was wrong. Their shoes were torn, and their feet were mangled and bloody—hundreds of overlapping wounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Scanning the area, Nareth spotted crystal clusters in the murky water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Not a creature—Spine Crystals.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He recognized them. Spine Crystals appear in sewage pits, pipes, and long-polluted places in hive cities. They are more mineral than plant, similar to coral, formed of dense, fragile, and razor-sharp crystal clusters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fools who fall into Spine Crystals quickly learn their horror. The shards cause thousands of tiny but excruciating wounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Worse, the crystals carry toxins and corrosive chemicals that turn even the smallest cut into festering rot. Without medical treatment, death is likely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sadly, most in the lower hives have no access to medicine. Stepping on them often means a quick end to their miserable lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Didn't expect to find one supplementary ingredient so soon.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kneeling, Nareth searched the sludge and quickly found two intact crystal clusters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pulled out spare clothes from his backpack, wrapped one cluster in a shirt and the other in pants, then stashed them away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In high spirits, he moved on. Several tunnels converged ahead into a platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two gangs were fighting around a forge, exchanging fire with makeshift laser guns crafted from scrap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the left, the leader of the gang with red cloth headbands shot down an enemy with a scrap laser pistol, rolled to dodge, and suddenly spotted something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He saw a boy who clearly didn't belong in the lower hive. Though his clothes were ragged, his aristocratic features stood out. He looked more valuable than the forge itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gang leader charged at Nareth, reaching out to grab him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kid, come here!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nareth sidestepped, the man grabbing at empty air. At that moment, the boy seized his wrist, yanked him forward, and stabbed a silver-gray shard into his gut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looting the corpse, Nareth found five energy cartridges and stuffed them into one of the many mismatched patch pockets sewn into his clothes, a trick common among mutants for stashing \"treasures.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He picked up the jury-rigged laser pistol. Familiar with its parts, he quickly checked its energy levels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Vostroyan gangs have better craftsmanship than other planets. Their scrap laser pistols are above average. This one can fire 23 times total, with 17 shots remaining.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nareth shouted, \"CEASE FIRE!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite being a boy, his voice carried no childishness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two warring gangs froze at the sharp tone, like an Arbiter suddenly visiting the lower hive. They flinched, turning toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were stunned at the sight of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the right side of the platform, another gang leader poked his head out and spat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who the f—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he finished, a laser beam pierced the space between his eyes. He collapsed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both gangs were in shock. The boy had shot him from over thirty meters away, far beyond the effective range of a scrap laser pistol. Yet it was a perfect kill. Unbelievable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some sharp-eyed gang members noticed the pistol in Nareth's hand, it belonged to their boss, whose corpse now lay at the tunnel entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The boss is dead!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That shout awakened everyone. Several gang lieutenants' eyes lit up. With the top dog dead, the throne was up for grabs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They immediately turned their guns on each other, aiming to seize power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the boy? He was just a kid. No matter how strong he was, once someone took control, they could gang up on him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nareth was ready to dodge, but they turned out even more foolish than he'd expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time to make a statement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They crossed me, and now they're mine. Time to establish dominance.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I said... CEASE FIRE.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He raised the gun and fired three quick shots, killing three people on the left side. Two more died from sneak attacks by their rivals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He finished off the last remaining survivor and faced the rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"From now on, I'm your boss. Disobey me, and you'll end up like them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone was stunned stiff. No one moved. They had never seen such accuracy, every shot a kill. It was unheard of.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, on his first day in Vostroya, Nareth formed his own gang—310 members strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he poured all the fungus from his backpack into a large vat, the gang members' eyes turned green with desire. If not for fear of his shooting skills, they would've swarmed like starving wolves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing atop the platform, Nareth looked down. Knowing the lower hive dwellers lacked education, he used the simplest words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don't mistreat those who follow me, but I don't feed freeloaders either.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What you get depends on your skill.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Whether you drink soup or eat scraps, that's on you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Scanning the crowd, he saw most craning their necks, eyes wide, staring at his feet. Only a few were still scratching their heads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I've got a question. Whoever answers it gets to drink the soup.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"First question: Where can I find giant give rats over one meter long?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The better the potion ingredients, the stronger the effects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nareth wasn't afraid of people learning his alchemy recipes. He only needed two ingredients.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Me!\" shouted a skinny bald man, quickest to react. \"Boss, those rats are everywhere around here, plenty over a meter long. I can't give you numbers, but every tunnel and pipe's crawling with them!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nareth looked around. No one objected. Everyone else wore expressions of regret or frustration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good. You get the first scoop.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bald man bolted up the platform and even twisted his ankle in the rush.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Catching himself with his left hand, he sprang up and hurriedly scooped a full ladle of soup, terrified the boss might change his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smelling the aroma, he crouched and eagerly licked the broth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The others watched in envy, ears pricked for the next question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Second question: Who knows where wirevine grows?\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1147,"2026-06-06T05:05:10.489Z",1,"novelbin.me","0e0b2453c64e5b1da81b3ebacfb6f8f310f25c7cad9d7d2dd39e9dc1fabd970a","warhammer-the-11th-primarch-the-black-emperor-chapter-4","warhammer-the-11th-primarch-the-black-emperor-chapter-2",698,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwarhammer-the-11th-primarch-the-black-emperor-cover.jpg"]