[{"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-529":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},1848543,2454,"Chapter 529","level-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-chapter-529",529,"\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chapter 529: New Normal (1)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A variable daily rent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It meant the rent could go up at set intervals or when certain triggers occurred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, rents on Earth also rose when the lease term ended, but this was daily rent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『Paying fifty million a day isn’t exactly a small amount, but if we implement variable daily rent, will this even be a business?』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected of a resident-friendly planet, Earth was already worrying in advance about its future residents.The source of thɪs content is novel•fire.net\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the stance of Yeongwoo, the de facto owner of the Earth-ship, was very different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fifty million a day isn’t a small amount? That’s something only people with a home planet to stretch out their legs on would say, isn’t it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『…….』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Someone out there might be desperate to pay that money but has nowhere that will take it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, Yeongwoo jabbed his index finger toward the space outside the window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our customers are rich refugees, people with mountains of money piled up who still can’t find a new home.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rich refugees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It sounded contradictory, but on the other hand, there was no law saying such people wouldn’t exist in this vast universe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『It still won’t be easy, though.』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course it won’t be. But getting a foothold on the Earth-ship isn’t easy either. There are what, maybe ten planet-ships in the whole universe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『…Mmm.』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was an unassailable fact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A place that is a planet, yet moves off natural orbits and thus is relatively free from all sorts of pursuits—a refuge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Right. We’re not just renting out rooms; we’re letting them live on a planet-ship, aren’t we?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bit by bit, Jiseon started to lend weight to Yeongwoo’s opinion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—For example, rich criminals would want to live here too, right? People with too many enemies to sleep safely at a fixed set of coordinates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Uh. I hadn’t considered criminals yet, but if the terms fit, there’s no reason it can’t be done.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In such cases, they would probably charge a separate “bad-karma fee.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Right. Come to think of it, the high-rent tenants are more likely to come from the criminal side. Whether they’re wanted by a government or just have a lot of enemies, fugitives and planet-ships go hand-in-glove.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In blunt terms, they could even spring prisoners from jail and load them onto the Earth-ship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, only a tiny minority of criminals with money buried on some planet could become tenants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At any rate, our Earth-ship is open to everyone now. Everyone is equal before money. Pay with what you have, or earn it in real time—just don’t default on the daily rent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having said this much, something else occurred to Yeongwoo, and he spoke to Kubu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, Mr. Kubu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>―Yes, Patriarch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tell them we also accept Myth rentals in lieu of rent. Consider it a special clause.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>―By Myth rental, you mean…?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Instead of paying the daily rent, they entrust me with their Myth-grade gear. While they’re tenants, I can use their Myth however I please, and…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>―But there will be cases of loss or destruction, won’t there?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then they’re granted permanent residency.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Yeongwoo’s words, Earth gaped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『There’s no way that would fly.』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why not? Have you met every race in the universe? Everyone has their circumstances.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, they even had an excellent precedent in the Red-Foot Orcs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a way, they had held their Myth as leverage to be accepted by Earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After explaining this far, Yeongwoo shifted his gaze to Kubu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There must be people somewhere who urgently need a foothold for various reasons, and all they have is their race’s Myth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>―Understood. I’ll relay this special clause to the Doatel side as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Refugees whose only asset was money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And refugees whose only asset was their Myth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a proposal aimed at both groups in hand, Kubu vanished then and there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Srrrt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, wicked rental ads would begin from the Virtue Broker’s planet in the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That wrapped up quickly. I was thinking we needed to recruit tenants as soon as possible anyway.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『Assuming tenants work out somehow… what’s your plan after that? Head back to Doatel slowly?』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nope. We’ve got at least two things left to do.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『At least two?』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How am I supposed to show my face in Doatel with no results? We hit that arms dealer and then go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then, the radical remodeling of Earth in preparation for a Galactic Pursuit Force that could show up at any time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those were the two tasks ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『You’re… headbutting again?』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The first two were practice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a straight face, Yeongwoo asked as he pretended to look down at the control-room floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way, have the ones who brought the land survey results arrived downstairs?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He meant the orders he’d issued that morning via planetary notice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hadn’t he told the regional representatives to survey “vacant areas” and bring the results?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『Looks like they’re mostly here. Some are still milling near the travel corridor.』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah? Then let’s head down together.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『What? Why me.』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You at least help keep the mood soft. I don’t have time to ‘persuade’ them one by one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here, ‘persuade’ meant beating them within an inch of their lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『Then what about our course? Are we heading back to the Golux star system?』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Earth’s question, the star Golux brightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were finally going home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course. And we should let these gentlemen go now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo pointed back and forth between Golux and Nurpf, and Nurpf raised his head toward empty air and shone brightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『W-well then…….』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nurpf bolted up through the control-room ceiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this time, Yeongwoo did not stop him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were done with business here anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『Then we’re returning to Golux.』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Earth’s words, the view outside the window was once more wrapped in the relay zone’s holograms, and meanwhile Yeongwoo was already standing before the control room’s door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s go. Time to see some faces for a change.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>10:04 a.m.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Yeongwoo and Earth appeared on the lower level of the control room, the various regional representatives who had reached Gwangjin-gu surged over in a crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was, admittedly, a somewhat humiliating appointment—a report on land survey results—but it was also a good chance to see the planet’s representative in the flesh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Th-that guy’s the rep for our planet?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s way younger than I expected.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And that punk is supposed to be that strong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The regional reps, unconsciously excited, were running; a bit later they slowed their steps to regain their dignity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They remembered that this crazy planet’s representative carried a camera that was always on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tatat!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No fewer than four regional reps did not slow down as they ran.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And they were none other than…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spotting familiar epithets, Yeongwoo waved to the four in the lead, and the two very front runners shouted loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chief Jeong…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s been a while!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Shandong Twin Evils, Zhang Jaham and Wu Qingjin, had come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind them, Italy’s Ottavio and Brazil’s Ricardo were running up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were the ones who had been assigned to the same group in the first dungeon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you all survived.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Yeongwoo murmured this, the Shandong Twin Evils arrived first and offered a formal cupped-fist salute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We greet Chief Jeong, Swordproof!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Right. So, what brings you two? You didn’t swallow the entirety of that vast China, I assume.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Yeongwoo’s question, Zhang Jaham bowed his head and answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At last, a deliberative body has been formed. We’re here only as its representatives.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, a sort of Chinese union had launched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Wu Qingjin continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s still much to hash out… but in any case, being entrusted as representatives is a good sign.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So the wills haven’t aligned into one just yet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo nodded knowingly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had sent the Shandong Twin Evils as reps, but that didn’t mean every strong figure in China supported Jeong Yeongwoo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘They could become an unexpected spoiler during a re-vote.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Yeongwoo scratched his chin, Ottavio came up and offered a handshake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mr. Jeong Yeongwoo, you look well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From your face, looks like you’ve got worries.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ottavio looked surprised at Yeongwoo’s words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he confessed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Italy doesn’t have any areas we can offer as rental zones. People live in most of the places to a decent degree.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ottavio, too, had been chosen as a representative for his ties to Yeongwoo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you insist we somehow make a vacant zone… we could probably empty out Palermo, a coastal city.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ottavio had even brought a contingency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earth, standing beside him, explained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『Most European countries are in a similar situation. The landmass just isn’t that big.』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Palermo was a city in Sicily, Ottavio’s jurisdiction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, even this contingency was a plan Ottavio had barely managed to create within his authority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is troublesome. Then we should first carve out rental zones in the bigger landmass countries.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Yeongwoo muttered this, Ricardo spoke up confidently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In Brazil, almost the entire west is empty. We can relocate all residents within two days.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh… that’s the best news I’ve heard today.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But there’s one problem.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The cities adjacent to the rental zone want compensation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo’s brow furrowed hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Compensation?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. It’s not exactly easy to live face-to-face with aliens, is it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t incomprehensible, but paying compensation to every adjacent area was absurd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the tenants learned of this later, it would clearly sow seeds of discord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Yeongwoo made his stance clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go tell them to cut the crap. Isn’t the fact that humanity didn’t go extinct and can keep living on Earth compensation enough?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, it was obvious the daily rent collected from tenants would far outstrip the taxes drawn from adjacent areas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In practical terms, tenants would contribute more to the Earth-ship overall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Next.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Yeongwoo swept aside Brazil’s issue in one stroke and called for the next rep, a swordswoman stepped forward from behind Ricardo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Tomiko Hayama, the Miyagi Sword Emperor whom Yeongwoo had appointed as Japan’s new representative when he took over the country.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re still as simple-minded as ever.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tomiko was one of the few who would speak so bluntly to Yeongwoo’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because it was Yeongwoo who had strong-armed her into a job she had no desire to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh… how’s Japan? Do you have any place that could serve as a rental zone?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d attempted a stellar headbutt into the sea right next to Japan, after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling a bit apologetic, Yeongwoo looked at Tomiko, who answered with a cold face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, to be fair, Tokyo is basically under our control already…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I want to make one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A line he hadn’t expected at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you mean, you want to make one?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There are still a lot of yakuza left in the south. So we need to do some cleaning.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was basically saying she’d wage a civil war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that was why she had come here in person to get the planet representative’s approval.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Radicals in Japan aren’t going to help your approval ratings anyway.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tomiko tossed out something chilling as if it were nothing, and Earth offered a line that was half in favor, half not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『She’s not wrong… but there’s nothing good about the population shrinking further.』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tomiko looked at Earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not saying we should kill civilians. Just take out a few of the ones who still control the south.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『How many is “a few”?』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know. A thousand, if you include the small fry?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『A thousand? At humanity’s current scale, that’s a war.』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By then, the Earth-ship had returned to the Golux system, and Yeongwoo was starting to feel pressed for time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A long line of regional reps had formed behind Tomiko.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How long am I supposed to deal with all this one by one? Fine. Ms. Tomiko’s civil war is approved. You’re Japan’s representative anyway.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『What?』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In exchange, give us a grace period until tomorrow. Civilians or yakuza—anyone not participating in the civil war should evacuate to central or northern Japan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tomiko nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In return, once the civil war ends, we’ll clear out Kumamoto one way or another and offer it as a rental zone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really? Then we’ll lend you Seoul’s First Spear for civil-war support.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seoul’s First Spear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a name Yeongwoo had made up on his own, and it referred to Yechan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, he was telling southern Japan, “Just surrender.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Yeongwoo shouted to the people lined up behind Tomiko.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Next! No—just come all at once. We close in ten minutes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>",2116,"2026-06-09T07:04:10.527Z",1,"novelbin.me","69d03e4cc1b61a67e1f57acc286f9add4038694e412482e45dfdffbd30a78972","level-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-chapter-530","level-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-chapter-528",688,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Flevel-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-cover.jpg"]