[{"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-98":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},1511197,1962,"Chapter 98: New Recruit Selection","warhammer-the-11th-primarch-the-black-emperor-chapter-98",98,"\u003Cp>As the Void Hunter began its return journey, Vostroya and Symphony of the Sea launched their first new recruit selection after five stellar months of preparation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tizca Hive City, Factory A-008 in the Upper Hive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the White shift rang, the factory workers who had toiled through the entire Night shift quickly wrapped up their tasks, cleaned their workstations, and followed the yellow pedestrian line out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One worker rolled up his sleeve, revealing a black tattoo on his arm, his wife's and children's birthdays inked there to remind him of what mattered most through exhausting labor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He puffed out his chest and said proudly to a fellow worker:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My boy Per is taking part in the Ascension Ceremony selection today.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Once he passes, he'll serve the Monarch himself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lucky you! My wife's just pregnant with our tenth kid.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second man, with Low Gothic tattooed on his neck, slapped his forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Right! Last night, while talking to my wife about the Ascension selection, we were trying to decide which kid to enter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since King Nareth declared Vostroya's entry into the Imperium, he had issued new directives on birth and conscription policies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every family that bore eleven children was allowed to nominate one eligible child for the Ascension Path selection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who passed would become great Legion warriors; those who failed would join the Auxilia and fulfill their service duty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Old Koschelny, how did your family pick?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course, we chose the best one. He has the best shot at success. No point sending someone who'll just come crawling back.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Koschelny, with the tattoo on his arm, said with pride:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I tested the Koschelny boys myself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What kind of tests?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lifting Vosvoth barrels, long-distance running, frog jumps, lasgun target practice…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He listed fifteen different events, then added:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Out of my kids, eight are eleven or younger.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Each event was scored from 1st to 8th, ten points for first place, nine for second…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"At the end, the kid with the highest total got the spot.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tattooed man stared wide-eyed, clapped his hands, and drew attention from others around:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's brilliant. Didn't think you had it in you to be clever.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, in Paradigm City, Company Captain Thomas stood atop a high tower, overlooking the selection grounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had selected the factory district as the site for recruitment testing for three reasons:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Cult Mechanicum delegation was still en route, and the construction of a proper Legion monastery, expected to take over twenty years, had yet to be finalized with Nareth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The childcare facilities Nareth had built in multiple city sectors were already ready for testing and resting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Workers could freely drop off their kids during shifts, letting them focus on labor while reducing hesitation about childbirth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nareth had guaranteed food, water, and basic education for all enrolled children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As an industrial world, the factory zone itself was the ideal thematic and functional setting for this event.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, Nareth had cited Bukayo's proposed trial format and specifically instructed that the \"item-finding test in the factory\" be kept.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This simple test helped identify children with outstanding perception, which matched the 11th Legion's core qualities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The trial would also assess the candidates' courage, intelligence, and adaptability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Thomas considered all this, the selection officers stationed at the childcare centers began addressing the candidates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pell Koschelny, eleven years old, already had a sharply defined face and carried himself with maturity far beyond his age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He forced himself to stay calm, focusing hard to catch every word the giant drill sergeant said, knowing it would greatly improve his chances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Over the next four months, you will undergo a series of trials. To become a Legionnaire, you must pass every single one.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The officer of the 9th Regiment surveyed the 300 children before him, his voice low and heavy. He could tell most of them were nervous from his words, and only a few remained calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A black-haired squad leader mentally noted the calm ones, then continued:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The first test will assess endurance and willpower. You will be scrutinized.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do not help other candidates. This is a personal trial.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sound the gong.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A legion servant struck the bronze gong with a hammer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As many children stood frozen, Pell and a few others took the first step, walking toward the long, curved running track at the training field's edge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The legion's servitors had rigged the track with obstacles: earthen slopes, deep pits, high walls, and flooded passageways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While a few kids sprinted ahead, Pell held back slightly, keeping a steady pace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He used the more anxious candidates like a herder using chem dogs, letting them scout the route.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moments later, the leading boy, only about seven or eight, stepped into a camouflaged pit, twisted his ankle, and fell hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pell's pupils contracted. He instantly marked that area in his mind:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trap – Mud Pit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rest of the stunned kids now snapped out of it and began charging onto the track, legs pumping hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thirteen minutes into the test, the first child completed a full lap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His carefully prepared outfit, chosen by loving parents, was now caked in dirt and sludge. He gasped, looking up at the Legion servant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Keep running. Until you're told otherwise, do not stop.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy wiped sweat off his brow and pressed on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pell, too, now finished his first lap, carefully regulating his breathing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Endurance. Willpower. This isn't about a fixed distance; the instructor wants to push us to our limits. Can I fake it?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He quickly dismissed that thought. There was no way he could deceive their eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, on the Symphony of the Sea, their assessment had also begun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The trial area had been set up along a coastal island, and the children were running across the sand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aboard the Void Hunter, the Chief Apothecary had completed inspections of all transformation chambers. He now entered a partitioned section of the med-deck, where 22 candidates sat quietly on metal stools, awaiting his arrival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following Nareth's command, Mikael had begun training future apothecaries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had selected 23 candidates to undergo enhancements, teaching them during the intervals between procedures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as Chief Apothecary, Mikael had to admit that Marlena, a mere mortal \"Doctor,\" had done an outstanding job.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since her involvement, the number of deaths among candidates has dropped significantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of the 22 seated before him, three had failed, but the survivors had not wasted their time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They would now become apothecary aides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mikael stood before them and announced:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Today you learn about the preomnor.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You will soon undergo stomach implantation. Nineteen of you are scheduled.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>.....\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[email protected]\u002FDaoistJinzu\u003C\u002Fp>",1110,"2026-06-06T05:05:10.768Z",1,"novelbin.me","e7762150eefb55b7a038d7f30566d2e924de199500e970cbadd4f2686510b143","warhammer-the-11th-primarch-the-black-emperor-chapter-99","warhammer-the-11th-primarch-the-black-emperor-chapter-97",698,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwarhammer-the-11th-primarch-the-black-emperor-cover.jpg"]