[{"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-485":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},1848049,2454,"Chapter 485","level-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-chapter-485",485,"\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chapter 485: Balance (2)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Planet Hunter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An insane weapon mounted on the Renaissance's planet-class ship—its legendary-grade cannon can unleash barrages of absurd firepower at a rate of one shot every three seconds, in volleys of four.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What’s more, since the planet-class ship draws power directly from a star, it can immediately reload once all its shells are spent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, just aiming such a weapon wouldn't relay all that information to Doatel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the massive energy buildup outside Doatel’s defense perimeter was more than enough to be detected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vweeee...!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as the Earthship, on its captain's command, took aim at Doatel, the existing communication channel was shoved aside and disappeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flash!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A new figure appeared on the comms screen—an armored Caramel figure cloaked in thick plating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chzzzt!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mere fact that he no longer had to look at that damned stone tablet was already a big step forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, you're not mistaken. We are indeed aiming at your planet right now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Yeongwoo pointed his hybrid weapon at the image of the Caramel, the figure paused for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he appeared to communicate with someone off-screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Presumably, he was getting briefed by the department that initially handled this pirate vessel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, the armored Caramel completed his minimum situational assessment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo nodded and gave the screen a casual wave with his weapon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I personally received a wedding gift from Prince Aldo. So go ahead and tell him I’m here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo squeezed out his last bit of patience as he spoke, prompting the Caramel to glance again off-screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then came a request.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, for fuck's sake! I don’t have that crap! Just go tell him I’m here! Or do you want me to punch a hole in your planet right now?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The violent tone—rare on Doatel—made the armored Caramel visibly flinch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now we’re talking.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo finally lowered his weapon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Caramel then began glancing around, seemingly scanning the bridge of the Earthship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, one sec.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo turned to those around him and asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anyone want to visit Doatel directly?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moro shook her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『Count us out. We have no interest in inter-family affairs. Besides, our minds are still in a mess.』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sure, no problem.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo wasn’t about to force the hot-headed Moro to come along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How about you two?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at Jiseon and Jeonggu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jeonggu stepped back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I… think I’ll stay here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Jiseon seemed curious about Doatel and the Caramel people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Wouldn’t it look kind of lame if you went alone? Since it’s technically a business visit, it’s better if we go together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, two of us then.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Yeongwoo said this and looked back at the comms screen, the Caramel nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, Doatel's side ended the communication, and right after, Administrator Kubu added a word of caution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—They’re going to arrest you, Lord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—The escort ship they’re sending isn’t for guests. It’s a capture vessel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you talking about? Why do you think that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—They wouldn’t so easily allow someone into the royal stronghold without an official insignia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kubu believed that the royal guards would attempt to arrest—no, abduct—the uninvited leader of this threat in order to stop the bombardment and get to the bottom of things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come on. Would those do-gooders really go that far?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—...Prince Aldo may be a fool, but the Royal Guard is not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that, Jiseon scratched her forehead and muttered,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—This conversation... is it really okay to say all this? The other party is basically right in front of us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, she looked out the bridge toward Doatel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flash!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint spark glimmered from Doatel, cutting through the cluster of refugee ships, as something small approached.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Hey, it’s here already.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Jiseon’s words, the Earthship activated its radar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『Confirmed. It’s Doatel’s escort vessel.』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That thing’s coming to arrest me? If that’s true, I’m kind of impressed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Yeongwoo watched the escort ship with a satisfied grin, Earth tapped his arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『Are you really going? We could just wait here until Prince Aldo hears you’ve arrived.』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And wait how long? Celestial bodies might be fine sitting around for eons, but humans aren’t built that way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, when else would he ever get kidnapped by Caramels?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo was truly curious to see how the benevolent ones would go about abducting him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If it were Mara, maybe I’d be worried. But the Shelbir Royal Family? They’re not the type to kill a guest outright. And I’m not exactly afraid of getting beat up either.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was stronger than ever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe this would be the perfect chance to test out his new strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Prestige Level: 48]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>| 00\u002F100 |\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*Required Karma per level: 13.1 billion\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Once I hit level 50, I won’t need to bother with formalities anymore. I’m not sure how powerful their elites are… but they didn’t seem that impressive during the wedding.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Yeongwoo slid his hybrid weapon back into its holster and looked at the now closer escort ship, Earth handed him a small stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What’s this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『It’s a Return Stone—to the planet-class ship. Normally, return stones only send you back to nearby ships. But this one…』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could send him straight back to the Renaissance, docked far outside the system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just another perk of being on a planet-class ship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『Of course, by the time you use this, you’ll be inside Doatel. That’s why it takes quite a while to activate. Meaning, you can’t use it in an emergency.』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a kind of penalty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, in order to visit another planet, a ship must dock directly with that planet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But a planetary ship can resolve matters while remaining stationed outside the atmosphere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In exchange for that advantage, it loses the ability to make emergency returns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, so what you're saying is that while other people throw something on the ground and teleport instantly, I can’t do that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『Unless you prepare a separate docking ship, that’s right.』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then I guess I’ll just have to make sure there’s never a reason to run in the first place.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a double meaning to that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, there are at least two ways to ensure there's no need to flee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first is to behave well and avoid trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the second—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Eliminate the trouble altogether.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The latter was the chairman’s method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was also the approach Yeongwoo preferred—but at least for today, in Doatel, he intended to restrain himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You should take one too, Mother. You have to come back, after all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Of course.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, both Yeongwoo and Jiseon held return stones in their hands, and Earth, watching the view outside the window, added one last remark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『If anything happens inside Doatel, request rescue from me.』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the planetary representative, Yeongwoo could communicate with Earth through consciousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So in the worst-case scenario, Earth was telling him to call directly for help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Will our consciousness still connect while I'm on Doatel?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『It’s not too far, so it should be possible.』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Still, just in case it doesn’t work, I’d better set a timer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『Timer?』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I don’t return or send a signal by the designated time, you begin bombardment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, Yeongwoo tapped his wrist to set an alarm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s say three hours.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『You want me to start firing if there’s no word from you in three hours?』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『But that might mean going into full-scale war with the refugee fleet over there, you know?』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You bastard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Yeongwoo furrowed his brow, this time it was Moro who sided with Earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『If you haven’t returned after three hours, it can only mean one of two things. You’re dead—or you’ve been stripped of all your belongings and imprisoned.』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『And for a 50\u002F50 chance, you want to risk the lives of everyone here?』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait… Are you saying that if I don’t come back, you were just going to leave me behind? I’m the owner and captain—how is that even allowed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『As you know, the authority to set our course is divided into three. So I don’t see why it wouldn’t be possible.』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Moro’s words, Administrator Kubu cautiously opened his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—In the special case where the owner disappears or is unable to fulfill their role, the designated heir or a family member will act as a proxy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In simpler terms, if Yeongwoo and Jiseon couldn’t return from Doatel, then Jeonggu, as the only direct descendant of the Renaissance line, would take over as the new owner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, that would bring about major changes to the planetary ship’s configuration, so Yeongwoo’s absence would practically be a disaster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Huh? I’m the heir?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jeonggu shook his head frantically with a terrified expression, and a sigh escaped Yeongwoo’s mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s no need to worry—it’s not like we’re invading Mara’s Planet or anything.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Yeongwoo finished saying that, the escort ship from Doatel finally came into close range.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had arrived just outside the Earth ship’s atmosphere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Kubu blinked twice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Once they inquire whether planetary entry is permitted, if they open a docking channel instead of asking for boarding, it means it’s a prisoner escort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Docking channel?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—It’s a kind of short-range relay tunnel. If they open a docking channel and we accept the connection, we can immediately transfer to the escort ship from here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, so what they mean is: ‘We’re not coming into the danger zone, so you come over here.’ That kind of thing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Exactly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I doubt it’s a prisoner escort.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Yeongwoo pointed at the escort ship outside with a “let’s wait and see” attitude, a system message appeared at the center of the control room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Small vessel |Doatel-4024| has opened a docking channel.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>",1618,"2026-06-09T07:03:45.910Z",1,"novelbin.me","21ac803ad37b86098bc039bb45541e03135131a6a99ba065876833743b775911","level-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-chapter-486","level-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-chapter-484",688,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Flevel-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-cover.jpg"]