[{"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-260":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},1848449,2454,"Chapter 260","level-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-chapter-260",260,"\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chapter 260: The Greatest Worry (2)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Parting ways with the wandering swordsmen, Yeongwoo ran towards the northwest, aiming for a city with a familiar name—Anshan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[PR\u002FN: After checking, Anshan is a city in China, while the Korean counterpart is called Ansan prev chap I did both as Ansan, which was wrong, my bad guys.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom! Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though it wasn’t far in the grand scheme of things, he still had to run at least a hundred kilometers, with only low-rise buildings and fields to greet him along the way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘China’s population exceeds 1.4 billion, so even if the Reset happened, at least 400 million should remain, right? Where have all these people gone?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo glanced at a farmhouse devoid of any sign of life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though China’s population was large, the land was even larger, causing such issues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even before the Reset, the population density outside the major cities wasn’t exceptionally high, and with the advent of monsters, encountering people became even rarer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘And this land is remarkably vast. Unless someone’s significantly boosted their abilities, they could die of dehydration on the road.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Yeongwoo looked back, an endless stretch of road lay before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This won’t do. I’ll waste an entire day just collecting money.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo finally realized how challenging it would be to achieve ‘world domination.’ Historically, even large empires struggled to continue conquests due to physical distance issues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The further they got from their homeland, the harder it was to supply resources and manage conquered cities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If even empires faced such challenges, how could an individual like Yeongwoo succeed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Currently, the best he could muster was a small team to collect funds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Conquering the entire world, let alone China, might be a pipe dream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘How can I collect tributes on a national scale?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a complex problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Im Dupyeong, who attempted to conquer China before him, hadn’t solved this issue yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Yeongwoo contemplated different methods of collecting funds, the road to Anshan continued endlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘At best, I can visit three cities in a day.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom! Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Managing this vast land is realistically impossible unless I can use the Guppy Express regularly.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of the Guppy Express, Yeongwoo’s gaze naturally drifted to the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The King of Destruction, Dogo, who roamed the universe, may know the solution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Something that allows high-speed movement on a regional scale. If not, at least card payment machines or ATMs should be installed in each city. After all, tributes can be transferred electronically.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Receiving daily tributes via transfer and only visiting cities that miss their deadlines for problem-solving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Yeongwoo’s ideal collection structure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The technology for this already existed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Aren’t our taxes essentially paid through transfers? Why can’t I use such technology?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Yeongwoo’s mind raced, he finally saw the rough skyline of a city in the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had arrived in Anshan, Liaoning Province, China.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a total population of 3.64 million and an active urban population close to 1.5 million, it was a significant steel industry city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though not a megacity by Chinese standards, it looked enormous to Yeongwoo from the Korean Peninsula.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, while Seoul’s area was 605 square kilometers, Anshan’s was 9,252 square kilometers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The central part alone was as large as the entire city of Seoul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How do I find anyone in this vast place…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No merchant markers were in sight, either because the transactions were already done or simply because the area was so large.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was nothing to use as a guide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Do I have to capture someone and ask?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surely there must be someone akin to the Strongest Sword of the Korean Peninsula in this region as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if that person was in the city, they should know his presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Are they hoping I’ll just pass by…?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was a possibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as there were fearless people like Dalian Sword Guild’s Tian Zhulin, there were also those like Yongsan’s Strongest Sword Kim Doha, who prioritized self-preservation above all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmmm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo, riding on Negwig, stared at the city for a while before deciding to take the quickest route.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“General…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He unleashed the most impressive attack he could manage to call out the city’s person in charge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Earth, 084! 362! 1041! 443!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The coordinates Yeongwoo called out marked the location of a construction site near the city entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Likely an abandoned large building project due to the Reset, it soon found a new purpose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using the construction site as a makeshift call button, Yeongwoo unleashed a laser beam.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The anonymous construction site was instantly flattened, and soon enough…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, ahh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Help us!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Invasion!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swarms of Anshan citizens began to pour out, sensing danger as the laser beam struck from the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who directly witnessed the laser were outside, while most people, unaware of what had happened, rushed outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s going on?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We don’t know either. We heard a huge noise.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could it be war…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>War.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Essentially, it wasn’t far off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the noise, the Five Masters of Anshan immediately dashed toward the impact site, following the mark of the sovereign flag embedded with the laser.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump, thump, thump!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the five masters of Anshan dashed through the city, the citizens followed them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, the instigator, Yeongwoo, had jumped off Negwig and strolled towards Anshan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘They should have understood by now.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo’s message was clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If no one came to greet him, he would continue using laser strikes to destroy the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he valued settlements as rare resources and wasn’t serious about the destruction, the message was compelling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Heh, it worked.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sensed several fast-approaching presences ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five individuals were rapidly closing in on him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『Five masters of Anshan』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘There are five of them here? Is it because the region is so large?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Yeongwoo stood watching the Five Masters of Anshan approach without drawing his sword, the long-haired man in the lead stopped about 15 meters away from Yeongwoo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other four also stopped, aligning themselves based on the long-haired man’s position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the minimum safety distance the Five Masters of Anshan considered necessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo couldn’t help but tilt his head slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It seems the level of the Five Masters of Anshan isn’t very high.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Generally, during such a standoff, the distance is determined by one’s psychological safety margin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, it’s the distance at which they feel they can react to an attack in time or believe they are outside the expected range of the opponent’s attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given that, the current level of the Five Masters of Anshan was…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’15 meters? They’re all within my striking range…?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo blinked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had to be one of two things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either the Five Swordsmen were underestimating him, or they were so inexperienced that they had never encountered a master who could kill them in the blink of an eye from more than 20 meters away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which was it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would soon find out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The long-haired man suddenly gave a fist salute to Yeongwoo and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What brings you to Anshan? We hesitated to greet you directly, fearing we might hinder your journey.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Considering they knew well about Yeongwoo’s background, this was quite a problematic display of courtesy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They even knew that the man before them was the one who had seized the title of China.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Did they originally intend to be this peaceful, or did the laser strike change their minds?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo pondered how to broach the subject of tributes while observing the other four, excluding the long-haired man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, the bald, muscular man standing to the immediate right of the long-haired man wore a very hostile expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Five Masters of Anshan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having five people in one city with the same title implied that there were five different personalities and wills behind that title.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was clear that while the long-haired leader preferred peaceful negotiations, the consensus among the Five Swordsmen was not unanimous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This might not be resolved through dialogue alone.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The current time was 5:14 PM.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo checked the time and then spoke to the long-haired man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am Jeong Yeongwoo, the Strongest Sword of the Korean Peninsula, visiting China as a representative.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The long-haired man’s eyes widened momentarily, and he glanced at the other four ‘swordsmen.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve heard of your reputation… but I didn’t realize you were a representative of the Korean Peninsula. I am Jeong Taeryong of the Five Masters of Anshan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jeong Taeryong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He quickly introduced himself and made another fist salute, but unlike before, he couldn’t maintain a bright expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a world of difference between a mere troublemaker from the Korean Peninsula and that troublemaker representing the entire peninsula.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The former could be dismissed as an individual rogue, but the latter implied that the entire Korean Peninsula was declaring war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And predictably…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re the representative of the Korean Peninsula? Are you saying that the peninsula's residents have united intending to advance into the Central Plains?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bald, muscular man, shouted angrily at Yeongwoo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jeong Taeryong quickly reprimanded him in a low voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hwigwang, if you wish to keep your head on your shoulders today, hold your tongue.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least Jeong Taeryong seemed to grasp that the Strongest Sword’s skills were extraordinary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My brothers can be a bit rash. Please forgive their rudeness.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swoosh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jeong Taeryong bowed his head slightly in apology to Yeongwoo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo, in turn, accepted the apology with a slight bow of his own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could tell that, despite Jeong Taeryong’s courteous demeanor, his pride as a Chinese remained intact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was evident from his refusal to refer to Yeongwoo with the title ‘Strongest sword.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this were Shandong Province, as soon as Hwigwang made his mistake, Zhang Jaham would have hailed Yeongwoo as the ‘Strongest sword’ while bowing his head to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Shandong’s Twin Evils are truly impressive. We can definitely move forward together.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more Chinese people Yeongwoo met, the more he realized Shandong was his best partner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since our time is valuable, let’s get straight to the point.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo began to broach the uncomfortable subject.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Have you met the standing committee members dispatched from the Politburo in Beijing? They’re typically older and wield unusual powers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jeong Taeryong and the other swordsmen looked puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Standing committee members?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you mean politicians?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you talking about?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They seemed clueless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Damn it. This complicates things.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Apparently, the collection team from Beijing hadn’t reached this eastern region yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Dalian to the south wasn’t initially a target area for collections until the lands merged into Pangaea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Should I explain about Im Dupyeong first… or just start fighting?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It might be quicker to demand money under the threat of death rather than to explain that the President of China had become a legendary demon collecting money across the continent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Yeongwoo slowly began to reach for the sheath at his waist...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A loud, unsettling crashing sound came from the west.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What was that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That… that’s!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shock therapy indeed worked best for grabbing attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following the Five master’s gaze to the west, Yeongwoo broke into a bright smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An old man wrapped in a purple aura of demonic energy was charging towards them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom! Boom! Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With each step he took, the ground upheaved, indicating his formidable martial prowess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, that must be…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Standing committee member!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo shouted the person’s status with glee, causing Jeong Taeryong to stare at him with wide eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What… what did you say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Standing committee member! That man will explain everything! Why you need to pay me 20 million!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>",1951,"2026-06-09T07:03:45.853Z",1,"novelbin.me","2e0d6b5f8146bfb9e36f6f97f7b50b3d651511b279f5cf15fb795e1f65bbf385","level-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-chapter-76","level-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-chapter-75",688,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Flevel-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-cover.jpg"]