[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-level-4-human-in-a-ruined-world":3,"chapter-level-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-level-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-chapter-259":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Level 4 Human in a Ruined World",{"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},1848446,2454,"Chapter 259","level-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-chapter-259",259,"\u003Cp>[Translator – Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader – Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chapter 259: The Greatest Worry (1)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recommending the next city to be extorted… It was indeed a devilish idea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Considering Jeong Yeongwoo’s martial prowess and objectives, his visit would be disastrous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s like playing hot potato with a bomb. Where should I send this guy?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Zhulin pondered seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which city could take down this madman?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It must be a large city with many powerful fighters.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the north of this place was Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning Province, with a population of nearly 9 million.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There would undoubtedly be many masters there, but…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘To keep him in check, ordinary masters won’t do. It has to be a monster-level expert.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Zhulin thought it had to be an unusual city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, which city in the area was the most peculiar?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Hmm.”’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Tian Zhulin fell deep into thought…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tongliao…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the swordsmen in the group mentioned the city of Tongliao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a city in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region that could be reached by traveling north past Shenyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The distance from Dalian was also several hundred kilometers, making sending the Strongest Sword far away advantageous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Additionally, Tongliao was where Han Chinese and Mongolians lived in equal numbers, and there had been recent anti-government protests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The atmosphere had been agitated since the Reset, and crucially…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Given its history of being a problematic city, Im Dupyeong would be aware of it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, the senior official dispatched there would not be an ordinary person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the nearby major cities, if there were one most likely to advance on Beijing, it would undoubtedly be Tongliao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tongliao? Is it alright there?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo, catching the swordsman’s suggestion, asked, and Tian Zhulin nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes… If we have to pick one place, I would recommend Tongliao.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It seems to be a rather fierce place.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowing the intent behind the question, Yeongwoo subtly probed, and Tian Zhulin’s expression hardened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Yeongwoo was hoping for a strong area to be recommended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since new variables appeared daily, he thought it best to weaken the enemy’s forces from the start significantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If they’re recommending it as a strong place, then Im Dupyeong wouldn’t have sent just anyone there. I might even meet a high-ranking official sooner than expected.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was time to leave Dalian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo sheathed his sword and bowed slightly to Tian Zhulin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m sure you don’t feel good about this, but I have no personal grudge.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But since the times are chaotic, someone needs to hold power and establish at least minimal order.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Zhulin’s expression darkened in a flash of anger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Order? Extorting money from city to city is establishing order?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s a process to establish order. In any case, someone needs to become stronger than Im Dupyeong to defeat him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Zhulin fell silent again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She partially agreed but also found it challenging to agree entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She consistently believed that Im Dupyeong, who aimed to become a dictator before and after the Reset, should not seize control of China again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the idea that the person to replace him might be the madman in front of her, someone from the Korean Peninsula, was distasteful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t just about agreeing or disagreeing; it evoked an emotional repulsion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t think I’m being unreasonable. Most cities probably think the same way. As a Chinese, being ruled by a foreigner is unpleasant.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That would be the same for any country. But…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo thought of Zhang Jaham of Shandong Province, who had warmly welcomed him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Tian Zhulin, Zhang Jaham, who willingly accepted a foreigner, was an unusual minority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But thinking in reverse, didn’t it also mean that someone like Zhang Jaham was the fittest for survival?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As I said earlier, it’s an era of survival of the fittest. The outdated ones will soon perish.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Seeing many martial artists, I’ve become quite good at judging people. In my opinion, Tian Sword Master is not a bad person. So, I hope you live long. Please prepare the money.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo left with a promise to return in two hours and mounted his four-legged steed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black iron horse emitted a strange sound and glowed with a menacing light, clearly not of this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one dared to challenge this proof that Jeong Yeongwoo allied with extraterrestrial forces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Zhulin also raised her hand slightly in a gesture of farewell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the two martial artists from Shandong, she couldn’t bring herself to salute fully but made a farewell gesture nonetheless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“See you later. Take care…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, Yeongwoo turned completely northward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At a tremendous speed, he sped away from Dalian City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Current time: 4:43 PM.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Yeongwoo headed north toward Tongliao, the next destination recommended by Dalian City, he realized something was off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Wait… the distance?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the map provided by Dalian City, the distance to Tongliao was a whopping 600 kilometers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if Yeongwoo was riding a steed from another world, he couldn’t possibly make a round trip in just two hours.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, it was highly likely that…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘They pointed out a city that’s not just tough but as far away as possible. I’ve been tricked.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the other cities weren’t exactly close either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were all at least 230 kilometers away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, in a way…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Maybe they did pick a faraway place on purpose, but all the cities worth going to are pretty far.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such was the scale of the continent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he operated in Seoul, the travel distance was at most 20 kilometers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in China, the basic distance unit had become 100 kilometers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘At least I’m riding Negwig. Others probably can’t travel around because of the distances.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo finally understood why the collection team had only arrived in Dalian today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘There wasn’t some grand reason; it was too far.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It might seem laughable initially, but for Yeongwoo, who dreamt of ‘world peace,’ it was troublesome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This makes it physically impossible to collect money from all over China.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought Im Dupyeong was using collection teams to save face, but it turned out there were practical reasons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Dupyeong hyung must have a lot of worries.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And those worries would soon increase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would soon learn that a competitor had appeared in the same line of work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘From now on, my dream is to become ‘Im Dupyeong’s greatest worry.’’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Yeongwoo resolved to this new dream and continued northward, he soon encountered a group of swordsmen traveling south along the road.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo slowed Negwig down and blocked their path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Excuse me, can I ask for directions?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man at the front of the ten swordsmen scrutinized Yeongwoo from head to toe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Who are you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Assessing the opponent’s equipment and martial prowess quickly was an essential survival skill in this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator – Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader – Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man at the front made his judgment in about one second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He naturally lowered the arm that had been resting on the hilt of his sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re asking for directions…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His tone became much more cautious, indicating his understanding of the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where is the largest city around here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo asked, showing the map provided by Dalian City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man’s expression grew even more tense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though, Yeongwoo, who mainly operated in Seoul, didn’t know maps in this world were very expensive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially in a vast country like China.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A detailed map that included small towns could cost over ten million Karma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the map given to Yeongwoo by Dalian City was a more straightforward form that only showed significant cities and nearby terrain, but still, at least…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s a good map. It must be worth at least two hundred thousand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are maps that expensive?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, indeed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man accepted Yeongwoo’s map respectfully and then glanced around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I may ask, why are you looking for a large city? It seems this is your first time in the area.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was clear to anyone that this outsider didn’t fit in here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Asking about the largest city while carrying a map worth at least two hundred thousand Karma…?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Yeongwoo pondered what to say, the man bowed his head slightly and softly waved his right hand, which should have been holding a weapon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re wanderers with no fixed abode. We roam near cities and hunt stray monsters to make a living.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Yeongwoo nodded without further comment, the man continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As you can see, we travel on foot. If we pick the wrong city to visit…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man explained that they might not find food or a place to stay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So if he was going to attack a city, please be honest so they could avoid it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re quite straightforward. Don’t you mind that I’m a foreigner?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Yeongwoo asked this, the man wiped his nose once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For people like us, being overly honest is a way to live longer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this was true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words made Yeongwoo feel like telling them his true intentions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Strictly speaking, I’m not going to conquer a city. I’m going to collect some money.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A businessman, I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. The city won’t be destroyed so that you can visit it by tomorrow. So, where should I go?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Yeongwoo finished speaking, the man looked northwest and shielded his eyes from the sun with his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you travel for about two hours in that direction, you’ll reach Ansan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ansan?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coincidentally, the city had the same name as Ansan in Korea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If he thinks it takes two hours… with Negwig, it could be done in thirty to forty minutes.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This meant visiting Tongliao late tonight or tomorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The few words from this wanderer had changed the fate of two cities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The largest city here is Shenyang, but you won’t reach it before sunset.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see. Thank you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo was about to head straight to Ansan but stopped Negwig again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The swordsmen, who were about to leave quickly, turned back in surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo took out three gold commemorative coins from his pocket and threw them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For guiding me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This, this is…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man was shocked to see Yeongwoo’s face engraved on the coins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He blinked at the name ‘Jeong Yeongwoo 07’ written under the portrait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the characters on the coins didn’t translate, the man couldn’t read what was written.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though the man didn’t ask, Yeongwoo read it aloud for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jeong Yeongwoo 07, the Strongest Sword of the Korean Peninsula.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator – Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader – Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>",1746,"2026-06-09T07:03:45.853Z",1,"novelbin.me","07a65cc63d2d0bf19a70c7f1c13457d4e4da89ab479a1494d737045cc434f7e2","level-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-chapter-74","level-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-chapter-73",688,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Flevel-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-cover.jpg"]