[{"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-579":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},1848593,2454,"Chapter 579","level-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-chapter-579",579,"\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chapter 579: The Black Zone (11)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Huh…? Sword Mountain?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen made a bewildered face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had clearly said weapons weren’t allowed, but now this guy was talking about Sword Mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t tell whether it was a joke or serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—…Are you serious?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, why? Sword Mountain falls from the sky. It’s not like I’m holding a weapon in my hand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—It’s still a “weapon,” isn’t it? They’ll probably judge that as breaking the rules.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Kejen’s comment, Yeongwoo tilted his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s a judgment? What, do they immediately disqualify you if you break the rules?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—This is the Black Zone. There are hordes of bastards who ignore the rules completely and charge in with weapons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Kejen added:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—But the Gatekeeper is also a member of the Black Zone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Meaning, he won’t be surprised if someone breaks the rules. Actually, even if you bring a weapon, you won’t get kicked out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—But the moment you do, the Gatekeeper opens up more of his strength. So it’ll be a bad move for you. …Well, unless your goal is just the general admission ticket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hold on, what are you saying? So you’re telling me that even if a challenger brings a weapon, the Gatekeeper still wins?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Yes. And with his bare hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen added that the Gatekeeper never breaks the rule of fighting barehanded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, how does that make sense? Doesn’t that make the Gatekeeper the strongest being in the universe?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Who knows? There must be someone who can beat him, otherwise the Tier-1 admission ticket wouldn’t exist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo was at a loss for words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—It’s faster to go and experience it yourself. And don’t forget—our goal is at least a Tier-5 ticket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen gave Yeongwoo’s lower back a light slap, as if saying “Good luck.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then quiet the whole time, Jeonggu approached and spoke cautiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Um… about Sword Mountain.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t use it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Sorry?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo cocked his head in confusion, and Jeonggu spoke again with a surprisingly serious face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It lacks guts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the two values respected in the Black Zone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even if you win—if you use Sword Mountain, they won’t truly acknowledge you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meaning his admission ticket tier would be lower than what he actually deserved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But… strength is a respected value in this world, isn’t it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s when you defeat your opponent barehanded according to the rules. That’s what true strength is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected of someone older—he had a point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that wasn’t the main thing Jeonggu wanted to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And… it’s uncool.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You said the Gatekeeper fights barehanded no matter what, even if the opponent comes at him with a sword.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s what I heard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yet you’re thinking of using Sword Mountain against someone like that…? Are you even human…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? Are you using this chance to insult me?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo scowled violently, and Jeonggu hurriedly backed away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m saying the situation makes it look that way! Sometimes show some dignity as the head of a family!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not sure you’re the one who should say that, Dad.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, Yeongwoo had to admit Jeonggu wasn’t wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If nothing else, it was spineless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Think simple. What would the Chairman do in this situation?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using Sword Mountain in a fistfight where weapons were forbidden?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t imagine the Chairman ever doing something like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Sword Mountain is the wrong answer.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And above all—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A red recording light was blinking at his bedside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A camera was recording everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were far from the Earthship now, so he didn’t know if it was being streamed live, but either way, the footage was being recorded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swoosh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo reached out as if to turn off the camera… but changed his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Gatekeeper’s ready by now, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—He’s always ready.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying this, Kejen pointed toward the Black Zone’s outer wall—the Black Cliff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swoosh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More precisely, he pointed at the massive entrance carved into the cliff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A white silhouette stood there, stark against the pitch-black surroundings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s the Gatekeeper? He’s pure white?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—It’s a symbol of strength. The Gatekeeper is always white.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because he doesn’t bleed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Right. There’s even a joke that the more you stain the Gatekeeper’s white body with blood, the higher your admission ticket tier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jesus… And you said tons of people come swinging swords at him…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo swallowed heavily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right on cue—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOOOM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The same tremor he’d heard earlier at the lakeside shook the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the Gatekeeper kicking the ground in place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—He’s calling for you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know, you bastard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His nerves on edge, Yeongwoo snapped back automatically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hoo…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He took a long, deep breath and stepped toward the Black Cliff where the Gatekeeper awaited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fwoosh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen and Jeonggu exchanged a glance, then followed after him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—At last, I’ll get to watch you get beaten to a pulp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen said with eager anticipation, and Yeongwoo shot him a glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s your first time seeing him fight too, right? You never know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—I admire the confidence, but the difference between your combat experience and the Gatekeeper’s is like the number of stars in the universe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That much is true.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t deny it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Gatekeeper must have fought countless villains over ages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He must have tried every kind of fight imaginable, so it was only natural he could respond to almost anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Including cases where a Sword Mountain suddenly rained down from above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Yeah. Straightforward approach. Show guts.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo clenched his fist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thankfully, he had the prisoner martial art Bottom of Rom—practically a hand-to-hand style.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It should be advantageous in a fistfight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Step, step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huuup…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, the tension wouldn’t leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With each step forward, the Black Cliff behind the Gatekeeper loomed larger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a towering mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had to crane his neck sharply just to see the top.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eventually, when the cliff filled his view completely and even the sky disappeared—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Gatekeeper—who stood alone guarding the cliff’s entrance—came fully into view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Holy shit, he looks unbelievably strong.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Contrary to Yeongwoo’s expectations, the Gatekeeper wasn’t covered in thick scales.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was heavily muscular, but his skin looked closer to human.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His height—around 5 meters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One head, two arms, two legs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A familiar silhouette.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But unlike a human, his skin was nearly perfect white.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The whites of his eyes were pitch black, and a single white pupil floated in the center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two eyes, human-like face, no hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the strangest feature—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What the…? This doesn’t look like an Artari at all.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tentacles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two long tendrils beneath the nose, hanging left and right like whiskers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he didn’t look like an Artari—the head was far too humanoid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that impossibly white, smooth skin didn’t resemble either species.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo took another step, and Kejen stopped walking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—We stop here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo turned back, and Kejen pointed at the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—From here on is the duel arena.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a faint groove running far into the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that he noticed, a huge circle—about 100 meters radius—was drawn around the Gatekeeper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo had already stepped inside it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What, so the fight stays within this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—As far as I know, the Gatekeeper doesn’t attack anyone outside the circle. Even if they’re the chosen challenger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meaning: stepping out = surrender.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen added,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—If you surrender mid-fight, you can still get the general ticket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t be ridiculous. And pay that 15% fee?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, he had no intention of showing cowardice after coming all this way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Today’s the day the Gatekeeper steps outside the circle for the first time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo rolled his neck and stepped fully inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen and Jeonggu retreated a step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at that exact moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Gatekeeper turned his head and looked at Yeongwoo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo instinctively took a fighting stance, but the Gatekeeper didn’t move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He simply stared, as if waiting for Yeongwoo to come closer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t even throw the challenge token.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s with this guy? Is he just pretending to be all profound?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo took another step, and behind him Jeonggu asked Kejen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why… isn’t the fight starting?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—There’s another circle closer to the Gatekeeper. Once he enters that, the Gatekeeper will throw the token.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—And the moment he catches that token—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen paused, twitching his whiskers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jeonggu, nervous, urged him on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When he catches it—w-what happens then?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had told Yeongwoo to fight with guts, but he was still terrified that his son was about to fight a pan-universal pugilist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At last, Kejen continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—The moment he catches it, the Gatekeeper launches a kick faster than light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Most challengers get blasted out of the arena immediately. That’s how they end up with the general ticket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Gatekeeper’s “welcome kick,” designed to force a mortal into surrender.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jeonggu’s mouth fell wide open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, then we need to warn Yeongwoo right away—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he tried to shout, Kejen lightly jabbed him in the stomach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—It’s not an attack he can avoid just by knowing about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But… the other challengers must’ve known beforehand! So Yeongwoo should know too!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen frowned and shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Facing the unknown willingly is also guts. This is your head-of-household’s first trial. Don’t insult him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>",1531,"2026-06-09T07:04:15.797Z",1,"novelbin.me","71c8c4d71efe1989f940653ce0ce3c46d87fd37d59a55f654e0876eddc05510a","level-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-chapter-580","level-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-chapter-578",688,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Flevel-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-cover.jpg"]