[{"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-574":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},1848588,2454,"Chapter 574","level-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-chapter-574",574,"\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chapter 574: The Black Zone (6)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Riding someone else’s ship on the way back.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment someone says that, you already know he’s a thief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So what could that possibly mean?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you saying we should steal a ship to get back? No one’s going to give us a ride.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Yeongwoo asked this, Kejen nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Of course we steal one. Well, if we’re lucky, we might find an abandoned ship lying around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And if we’re unlucky?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Then we steal one that isn’t abandoned. But robbery’s always like that, isn’t it? Things usually have owners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As annoyingly logical as it was, Yeongwoo had nothing to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Naturally, stealing something that has an owner might cause… minor disputes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Disputes? That’s not a dispute. That’s just a robber fighting a ship owner.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Compared to what happens inside the Black Zone, that doesn’t even count as a fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Kejen asked again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—So, kid. Are we going with the ‘cheap option’?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How cheap?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—The planets adjacent to the Black Zone sell one-way tickets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>About forty million karma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen explained it was basically buying a disposable shuttle—barely capable of a single one-way flight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Forty million?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo blinked rapidly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Renting a round-trip ship normally cost two hundred million karma in rental fees plus a four-hundred-million deposit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if they gave up on a safe return, they could get transportation for only forty million.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This hardly even needs thinking.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Right? If you’re crazy enough to walk into the Black Zone on your own legs, stealing a ship is nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perfectly villain-like logic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Yeongwoo’s mindset was already pitch black, so he nodded without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But if it’s one-way only, how do we find your seal?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—We’re not buying a drop pod. We’re buying a small shuttle that’s one breath away from death. It just has low remaining travel distance. It’s not locked to a specific route.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So we’re not heading straight into the Black Zone—we’ll find the seal first?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Correct. We can swing by my hideout on the way. Probably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait—probably? You’re saying that now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Everything in life is eighty percent skill, twenty percent luck. That’s why we need Lord Chopan’s blessing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Chopan, Chopan. If you were so blessed, why did you end up locked in prison until now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen burst out laughing and stroked his beard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—And yet here I am, headed right back to my seal, aren’t I? That’s luck’s twenty percent at work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he turned to Earth, who was manning the navigation system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Look at the outer edge of your detection range. You’ll see a planet named Dik. Send us there. I’m transmitting the detailed coordinates now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『Dik…?』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earth quickly found a planet labeled Dik and looked at Yeongwoo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Yeongwoo was the actual owner of the ship, permission was required.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And soon Yeongwoo said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah. To become a bigshot, sometimes you need guts. Let’s go to Dik.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『If it were me, I’d just pay the deposit and rent a return-capable ship… I truly don’t understand you people. Is madness contagious?』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though Earth was technically a planetary ship, as a born celestial body, he couldn’t wrap his head around spacefaring species who voluntarily embraced danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It almost looked like they enjoyed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>FWIMMM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A small portal opened beside them, created by Earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『Step through here—you’ll transfer to the shuttle headed for Dik. Try not to do anything too insane. And please, try to come back alive.』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So it begins.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ignoring Earth’s farewell, Yeongwoo stepped next to the portal leading into the shuttle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he looked at Jeonggu—the most timid of the group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father, you go first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm? Me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re the most likely to run away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I may be scared, but I’m not going to flee before departure.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Jeonggu stepped up to the portal, Kejen and the golden goblin lined up behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Move it, old man. We’ve got mountains of work to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen urged him, and Jeonggu—looking extremely tense—took a step forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>FWIP!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He vanished instantly, sucked into the cramped one-use shuttle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen followed without hesitation, diving straight into the portal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My turn, huh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo stepped in with the golden goblin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>WHOOSH.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was pulled forward, the world switching in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…This place again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the interior of the same disposable shuttle they used when visiting the prison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『Dropping three shuttles simultaneously. Destination: southern Dik, per Kejen’s coordinates.』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Got it. Approved.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Yeongwoo, cramped inside the shuttle, responded, he heard locks disengaging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CLACK.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOOOM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A massive blast shook the shuttle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were now hurtling toward planet Dik at extreme speed, right on the border of the Black Zone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But what coordinates did you give Earth exactly?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo asked, and Kejen’s voice came from above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Right in the rental company’s front yard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? That’s allowed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—This planet basically counts as part of the Black Zone. This is normal here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of hellish life do people live in the Black Zone?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he sighed, the shuttle shook violently and a timer appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[00:10]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten seconds to arrival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen began explaining the rules.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Once we land, don’t take out your weapons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Huh? Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—It’s an unwritten rule. Fights involving weapons happen only inside the Black Zone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s for protecting rental companies?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Pretty much. If you pull out a weapon here, you’ll never get a ship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So why not just rob whatever ship is sitting outside?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo proposed, robber-style.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen clicked his tongue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Kid, planets here survived anywhere from decades to billions of years on this border.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, the merchants here were monsters, and their security systems were top tier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—One emergency button and the entire stock drops underground. Nothing’s as easy as you think.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fair. The shopkeepers here must be no joke.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—The weak ones all got robbed by people like you and died or went bankrupt ages ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Merchants who supplied the Black Zone were naturally extraordinary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Don’t pull out a weapon. And… there’s more, but explaining everything would take too long. I’ll tell you things as they happen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meaning: don’t even think of ditching him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BEEP.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The timer hit zero.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had arrived on Dik.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>KUUUUNG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shuttle slammed into the ground and disintegrated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CRASH!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo was thrown upward, and landed cleanly, drawing a smooth arc like a practiced veteran.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>THUD!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen landed nearby with equal ease—clearly used to disposable shuttles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile Jeonggu, stepping into outer space for the first time—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“UWAAAAH!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He completely failed to keep his balance and face-planted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>WHUMP!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ll do better next time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo stepped past his fallen father.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their landing point really was right in front of a rental company.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A one-eyed man in a suit was leaning against a pile of scrap metal, looking their way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Black Zone?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pointed vaguely upward—the direction of the Black Zone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo nodded and assessed the man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He’s out here alone…? Either insane or ridiculously strong.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even unarmed, the man’s perfect inverted-triangle physique screamed close-quarters combat mastery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You the rental guy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one-eyed man grinned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—First time, huh? Follow me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen quickly moved beside Yeongwoo and whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—New rule.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Keep your mouth shut. You’re giving off newbie stink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why does that matter? We’re just paying for a shuttle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Kid. This is the doorstep of the Black Zone. Everyone you see here is a scammer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While they whispered, the one-eyed man turned right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen instantly stopped walking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Not that way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—What?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—We’re here for scrap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment Kejen said “scrap,” the one-eyed man flinched and turned back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Ah. One-way. My mistake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned and walked left—the exact opposite direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What the hell.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen snorted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—What else? He tried to fleece you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fleece?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—If we followed right, he’d show us the sucker inventory. Overpriced, shiny garbage for first-timers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Then what’s ‘scrap’?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Scrap is… literally scrap. Things that can fly only by miracle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…That’s what we’re buying?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—We only need a shuttle barely capable of one-way flight, right? Naturally, the goods are garbage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…So that’s why they call it scrap.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo understood now why the man’s behavior changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Going into the Black Zone without a return ticket was the ultimate sign of being a veteran local.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Real Black Zone survivors always stole someone else’s ship to escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Ideally pick something missing a wing or with half a busted engine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—It still needs to be able to take off. If it’s too broken, the shop will patch it up with whatever parts they have lying around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You mean they’ll repair it… sloppily? What kind of place is this?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Yeongwoo stared in horror at the utterly insane system, Kejen grinned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Welcome to the Black Zone, kid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>",1450,"2026-06-09T07:04:15.797Z",1,"novelbin.me","703c22e29a114a09c0631a8430a673676231aba06665dfc6f3fd062f94f88db6","level-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-chapter-575","level-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-chapter-573",688,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Flevel-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-cover.jpg"]