[{"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-576":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},1848590,2454,"Chapter 576","level-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-chapter-576",576,"\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chapter 576: The Black Zone (8)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The price of buying a flying piece of junk: 30 million Karma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Is this really okay?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, it was much cheaper than the 40 million Karma that Kejen had mentioned before departure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s that, some kind of payment terminal?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo asked as he looked at the device in the junk dealer’s hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—We avoid physical contact as much as possible here. Using payment terminals is standard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You avoid physical contact…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—You don’t need a weapon to hit someone, right? A simple touch can be mistaken for an attack. So to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, people don’t make physical contact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fair enough. This is space, after all. There really are all kinds of weirdos out here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A vast world where countless species coexisted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cyclopes, tri-eyed folk, beings with multiple arms, and even species whose bodies were made entirely of water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So for a business that dealt with them all, preparing for every possible accident was only natural.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clunk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The junk dealer set the payment terminal on top of the aircraft Yeongwoo intended to buy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Place your hand here. It will charge 30 million Karma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same moment, a holographic number floated above the device.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[30,000,000]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Seeing the number makes it feel even more expensive…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a conflicted expression, Yeongwoo slowly approached the terminal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unexpectedly, the junk dealer looked surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, he had assumed Kejen would be the one paying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Yeongwoo touched the terminal, 30 million Karma disappeared from his account in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fwoooosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost immediately after, a beep came from near the junk dealer’s wrist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beeeep!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Probably a confirmation of successful transfer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Excellent. A good transaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After checking the payment, the junk dealer spoke quietly into the band on his wrist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—0658, begin processing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then from the massive dome in the distance, several golems started running toward them, each holding different tools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud, thud…!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What the—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo widened his eyes, and Kejen stepped back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—The workers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Those golems are going to fix our aircraft?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—it’s more like patchwork than an actual repair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time Kejen finished speaking, the golems had reached the junk heap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They checked the blue tag the dealer had stuck on earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One golem grabbed the junk aircraft with its arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another immediately began hammering it wildly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if destroying it beyond resale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>KAANG! KAAANG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With repeated blows, the outer hull dented instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then another golem approached with a glowing red saw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Szzzzk—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And began slicing off pieces of the hull in smooth layers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fssshhhh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What the hell? Are they cutting sashimi out of my aircraft’s hull?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Yeongwoo stared in disbelief at this never-before-seen “repair technique,” the golem finished cutting the metal and walked up to their aircraft.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without hesitation, it placed the freshly cut plate over the claw-marked section of the hull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>TAANG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? No welding?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Yeongwoo looked back and forth between the junk dealer and Kejen, the latter stroked his beard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Welding here is a little different from what you’re thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A little?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a deafening thunderous sound roared from the aircraft.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOOOOM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The golem had started hammering the added plate with a blazing hot hammer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOOM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, it seemed like it was simply flattening the metal into place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But soon it began hammering the outer edges with obsessive precision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a hammerhead glowing red-hot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—It’s a type of heat-forging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Kejen said, every strike made the plate visibly compress and fuse against the aircraft’s hull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No way… just hammering it makes it stick? Completely? Enough to survive spaceflight?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, they’d have to fly through outer space soon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And through the Black Zone’s atmosphere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—For a one-way trip, this is perfect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Kejen was spouting nonsense, other golems were reattaching the aircraft’s wings—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>using a welding technique that Yeongwoo actually recognized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait— that side is doing normal work!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pointed at the wing, and Kejen shrugged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Different parts require different techniques. Hammering wings would warp the frame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then why is hammering the hull fine?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—It’s still weaker than dragon fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “processing” of the junk was completed with alarming speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Yeongwoo talked with Kejen for just a moment, the golems were already dragging the aircraft elsewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey— my aircraft!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Yeongwoo blinked at the rapidly retreating ship, the junk dealer explained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—They’re moving it to the launch pad while the repaired parts cool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Launch pad…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—The vehicle’s thrust isn’t very good. It’s safer with a little ‘help.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Kejen spoke while walking toward the aircraft.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—See? That 30 million includes the launch fee. Isn’t that a bargain?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Isn’t the real problem that we need help just to take off?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either way, the journey to the Black Zone was truly beginning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo had no choice but to follow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Why am I doing this again…? What fortune am I trying to chase with this insanity…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he remembered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Right… there’s at least ten billion on the line.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, he felt motivated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Easy money doesn’t exist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Follow the blue tiles to the aircraft. Safe travels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The junk dealer stepped aside and waved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A path of blue tiles stretched forward, all the way to the massive launch platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They already lifted my aircraft up there…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo squinted at the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A long, slanted runway stretched upward, and on top of it sat the junk aircraft.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From here, it looked like a giant amusement-park ride—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and that was creepy in its own way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Hurry. We’ve got mountains of work to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Confirming that the aircraft was in place, Kejen picked up the pace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo, Jeonggu, and the golden goblin followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is insane no matter how you look at it…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jeonggu murmured, looking like a man about to bungee jump without a rope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were on some random alien world, about to board a rust bucket that looked liable to break apart at any moment… to fly into an even worse place full of criminals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing felt real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beep!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen reached the lift leading up to the runway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—I know it’s your first time and you’re nervous, but don’t worry too much. The aircraft rarely explodes mid-flight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he hopped inside the lift and pulled the lever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CLANK!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Let’s go!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe because he was finally heading “home,” Kejen looked genuinely excited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You like it that much? Isn’t the Black Zone as dangerous as prison? Probably even worse.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Sure, but in prison, all you do is endure pain. The Black Zone is dangerous, but I get to be one of those dangers too. It’s a much more active world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm… fair point.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I become one of the world’s dangers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That lined up perfectly with Yeongwoo’s philosophy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And truthfully, that was exactly why he decided to go to the Black Zone—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>to strike first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOOOM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lift carrying them slammed into place at the side of the runway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s no staff here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—we do it ourselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as he stepped off the lift, Kejen began expertly pulling the large levers connected to the rear-mounted launch booster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—This is the thrust-assist module. Watch carefully. You might have to do this alone someday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo was already memorizing everything Kejen did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who knew when their partnership would end?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When you pull the levers, is that all? Does the order matter?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were three levers, so he asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Yeah. For a small aircraft like ours, pull left to right. For medium, middle, left, right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then for large ones, it’d be right, middle, left?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Correct. Though launching a large ship from here would be insane—but if unavoidable, that’s how you’d do it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Kejen called something insane, then it was truly insane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Yeongwoo asked again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Large ships don’t use runways like this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Big ones have way stronger engines. They lift off on their own. Which is why you should NEVER buy a large ship made of scrap. It may take off, but it’ll explode when landing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe that 30 million Karma wasn’t the price of the scrap—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>but the price of the lesson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Obviously, I’ll be the one piloting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen scanned the group with a suddenly serious expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone nodded instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a speaker near the runway crackled to life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「0658, please board your aircraft.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen climbed inside and waved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—0658—that’s us. Get in!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The launch booster was already powering up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone hurriedly squeezed into the cramped interior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeongwoo! There are no seats…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, there were none.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the cockpit was barely holding together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And worst of all, several levers looked like they’d been snapped in half.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh… what is this…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ssshhhkk—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hull panel they entered through sealed shut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen had completed pre-flight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked back with a wicked grin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Why are you so shocked? In the Black Zone, this is everyday life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, but the controls being broken is kind of a big deal, isn’t it?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without looking back, Kejen answered while staring out the front window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Ah, that part? That’s optimization.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he yanked the control stick backward and stomped on the pedal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pedal pad instantly snapped off—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>something only Kejen noticed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>VRRRRRRRRMMMM…!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But with the launch signal already issued, the junk ship roared like a rabid bull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>THUD!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With help from the launch booster, it shot down the runway at terrifying speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>SHEEEOOOOW!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like riding a bullet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The insane acceleration made the hull vibrate like a sheet of paper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo even spotted a broken pedal piece rolling around the floor—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it didn’t matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>KWAAAAA!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were already leaving the end of the runway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Success! We made it—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen slapped the dashboard in joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A button immediately popped off and flew outward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>",1624,"2026-06-09T07:04:15.797Z",1,"novelbin.me","8c2eefa8619d40634b68ea7b6336349adba4952e99482b509646ad6cc5af2520","level-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-chapter-577","level-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-chapter-575",688,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Flevel-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-cover.jpg"]