Warhammer: Black Emperor

Chapter 99 New Recruit Selection
At the same time as the Void Hunter returned, Vostronia and Cradle of the Sea began their first recruitment selection after five stellar months of preparation.

Arsenal A-008 in the upper hive of Tezwok.

The bell of the Rini class rang, and the workers of the Kai class, who had been busy all night, quickly finished their work, tidied up the operating tables, and left along the yellow pedestrian walkway.

A worker rolled up his sleeves, revealing the black tattoo on his arm, which showed the birthdays of his wife and children, reminding him not to forget them during his heavy work.

He puffed out his chest and spoke proudly to his co-worker beside him.

"Our Per is participating in the selection for the Tongtian Ceremony today."

"When he passes, he will be able to serve the king."

"I'm so envious of you! My wife just got pregnant with her tenth child."

He, with Low Gothic tattooed on his neck, suddenly slapped his head.

"By the way, last night when my wife and I were discussing the Road to Heaven selection, we talked about which child to choose to participate."

Since King Nimrod announced his joining the empire, he issued new orders to adjust the birth control and conscription policies.

Every family with eleven children can have one child of appropriate age eligible to participate in the Road to Heaven selection.

Those who pass the test become great legion warriors, and those who fail will join the auxiliary army and fulfill their military service obligations.

"Old Koscielny, how did you choose?"

"Of course we choose the best, so that they have a chance of reaching the sky and succeeding, rather than returning in disgrace."

Koscielny, who has a tattoo on his arm, said this proudly.

"I've tested Koscielny's kid."

"What did you take the test on?"

"Carrying Lasvote barrels, long-distance running, frog leaping, laser gun shooting..."

He listed fifteen items in a row and then added more.

"I have eight children in my family, including those aged 11 and younger."

"Each project is ranked from one to eight, with the first one scoring ten points, the second one nine points..."

"Finally, whoever has the highest total score will get the selection spot."

The worker with a tattoo on his neck widened his eyes and clapped his hands, attracting the attention of people around him.

"Good idea. I didn't expect you to be so smart."

At the same moment, in Model City, Thomas stood on a high tower and stared down.

The commander of the ninth company therefore chose the factory area as the selection site for three reasons.

First of all, the Mechanicus's team is still on the way and has not yet finalized the construction plan of the Legion Monastery with Nimrod. Moreover, the construction period is expected to be more than 20 years, and it will not be available in the short term.

Furthermore, because the Primarchs had built hosting facilities in several gathering areas of Paragon City, there were immediately available areas for assessment and rest.

Workers can send their children to daycare facilities for free during their work shifts, so they can focus on their work and will be more willing to have children without having to worry about anything else.

Nimrod ensured that the children had food and water here, and received a free, simple education.

Secondly, the factory area fits the positioning of Vostronia’s industrial world.

Finally, the Gene-Father mentioned the selection method used by candidate Bukayo Arshavin, and the Primarch requested that the foundry project within the factory be retained.

This simple project will select children with outstanding perception from the candidates, a characteristic that best suits the 11th Legion.

At the same time, this process will also test the candidates' courage, brains and other aspects.

While Thomas was thinking, the non-commissioned officers he had sent to be in charge of the selection had already begun to speak to the candidates in the surrounding hosting facilities.

Eleven-year-old Per Koscielny, with his angular features, has been a precocious child since childhood. He forced himself to calm down and listen carefully to every word of the giant coach, knowing that this would greatly improve his chances of passing the test.

"Over the next four months, you will undergo a series of challenges. If you want to become a Legion warrior, you must pass each test."

The sergeant of the Ninth Company looked at the three hundred children in front of him and spoke in a deep voice. He was keenly aware that most of the children were nervous because of his words, and only a few children remained calm.

The captain with short black hair secretly took note of a few people and continued.

"The first test is a test of endurance and will. You will be scrutinized."

"Don't help other candidates. This is a personal test."

"Ring the gong."

The legion servants immediately used the copper hammers in their hands to strike the gong in the training ground.

While the boys were stunned, Per and several other children started walking onto the long curved track around the outside of the field.

After the Legion's servitors were transformed, the road was filled with obstacles: earth slopes, deep pits, high walls and water-filled passages.

While the other children were running at full speed, Per followed them at a leisurely pace, treating the other anxious candidates as arbitrators and chemical dogs who were navigating the way.

A moment later, a boy of seven or eight years old who was running in the front stepped into a pit that was deliberately dug and concealed.

His left foot twisted, and he lost his balance and fell to the ground in a mess.

Per's pupils shrank, and he immediately marked the area in his mind: a trap - a mud pit.

The stunned children finally reacted at this time. They ran up the aisle and started running.

Thirteen minutes after the test began, the first child completed the entire lap.

The neat clothes that his parents had carefully prepared for him were covered in dust and mud, and he looked at the giant's servants breathlessly.

"Keep running until you hear the command to stop."

The boy gasped for breath, wiped the sweat from his forehead fiercely, and continued to run forward.

Per barely maintained his breathing rhythm and completed a lap at this time.

He thought silently in his heart: [Endurance, will.

This is not a preset fixed goal. The instructor wants to test our limits.

Can you disguise it?]
Per quickly rejected the idea of ​​sneaking around, as he wasn't sure he could hide it from the giant.

At the same time, the assessment of the Cradle of the Sea has also begun.

The assessment site was built on the edge of the island according to local conditions, and the children taking the assessment ran on the beach.

On the Void Hunter, after the chief pharmacist inspected all the modified cabins, he walked to an area separated by the medical deck. There, twenty-two candidates were sitting on metal stools, each waiting for his arrival.

After receiving orders from the Gene Father, Mikkel began to train pharmacists.

He selected twenty-three candidates and arranged for them to undergo transformation at the same time, giving them lessons in between their transformations.

Even as the chief pharmacist, he had to admit that Malena, the mortal "doctor", did a good job.

Since she joined, the number of candidates who died has dropped significantly.

Even though three of the twenty-two people in front of him had failed, the ones who survived did not waste their time in training, as they would become the pharmacist's attendants.

The chief pharmacist stood in front of everyone while thinking.

"Today you will be learning about the stomach. The candidates are about to begin the large-scale pre-placed stomach implantation. Nineteen of you are included."

(End of this chapter)