[{"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-585":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},1848599,2454,"Chapter 585","level-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-chapter-585",585,"\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chapter 585: Quagmire (2)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hideout of the master thief Kejen, located in the Eastern Free Trade Zone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo couldn’t help being repeatedly amazed by Kejen’s outrageous boldness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, who would ever think of deliberately setting up a hideout right next to the strongest person in the region?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even he wouldn’t dare something that reckless so easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pretty gutsy for a thief, aren’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— In this universe, the key to surviving long… is to avoid being consistent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You mean, don’t maintain consistency?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— Right. Consistency means predictability. Especially for wanted criminals like me—when you’ve got long-term pursuers, having predictable behavior or personality is a death sentence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So that was his survival method: sometimes timid and sneaky, other times bold and fearless—never letting anyone read him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But considering I first met you in prison, I get the feeling I should filter your advice a bit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— Ever think about how many crises I must’ve survived before ending up in prison? Everyone makes at least one fatal mistake eventually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Judging from the ending, yours was pretty damn fatal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Yeongwoo said that with a sneer, Kejen twitched his whiskers and waved a finger in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— If you think the guy who stole a royal seal would rot in jail for life, you really don’t understand this universe yet, rookie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo’s ears perked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh? So what then—did you have some genius escape plan prepared?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— Only I know the location of the Kardal royal seal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If the seal is never found, true, that would make sense.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— Which means someone would’ve come to break me out sooner or later. Whether it was a royal-seal collector… or other thieves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So in the end, you were just trusting the will of the heavens… I mean, the Records?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— Either way, I ended up out here, didn’t I?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen proudly hugged himself with both arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But that was pure luck. I wasn’t even there to rescue you in the first place.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— Luck is a skill. And even without you, someone would've busted me out eventually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Except they would’ve tortured you until you revealed the seal’s location—or killed you the moment they found it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— ……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen did not deny that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— That’s what you call ‘danger.’ And a guy who keeps breaking through those dangers is the one who survives to the end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was a genuinely thief-like line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Yeongwoo had no choice but to admit Kejen was no ordinary man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Amana—who had been flying while holding everyone—cut into the conversation between the two troublemakers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— We’re descending now. Where exactly should I land?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen pointed at the rooftop of a white-roofed house next door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— Land on the roof of that house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— Understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Amana folded her wings, an enormous burst of acceleration followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>FWOOOOSH!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, but… isn’t it risky to make such a noisy landing right next to the local boss’ house?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right as Yeongwoo muttered in worry, Amana dropped everyone onto Kejen’s rooftop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>KWA-A-A-ANG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— That guy is almost never home anyway. No idea what he’s always running around doing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen lifted himself from where he had been flattened against the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he walked toward a cluster of flowerpots in the middle of the roof and began rearranging them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What are you doing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— Inputting the entry code for my hideout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Kejen shifted the pots about three times—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Piiing!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sharp signal rang out, and a slab with a rat-man’s handprint carved into it rose up on the roof.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Kejen placed his hand on the panel, the thief’s hideout finally revealed itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drrrt—drk—drk!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rather absurdly, a ladder unfolded… leading toward the neighbor’s rooftop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What—so this place was a fake hideout?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— Strictly speaking, they’re both my hideouts. But today, we’re going to the other one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen casually stepped onto the ladder toward the opposite house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A square opening had appeared on the neighbor’s rooftop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Entering the real hideout required entering a code here to open the entrance over there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aren’t these complicated entrance steps dangerous if you ever have to flee in a hurry?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— That’s what the white-roof house is for. There’s a method to enter that one instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Kejen did not explain that method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— Come on. Get inside quickly. This entrance closes automatically in 15 seconds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Already halfway inside, Kejen poked only his head back out to warn them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group hurried after him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surprisingly, the hideout felt extremely dreary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no resting place at all—every wall was packed with security cabinets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All of this is your hidden loot?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— Yes. They’ll never open unless the sensors detect I’m alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alive?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— Someone could try opening them while holding just my severed arm, you know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Fair.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— So the sensors check my blood flow. And if my blood flow is abnormally fast, the entire hideout blows up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This place has a self-destruct function?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— Insurance for the worst case. If I ever get dragged in here by someone insanely strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But judging from everything you’ve done, I’m sure you have a safe room somewhere that won’t blow up with it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— Heh. Forgotten already? Never assume things about an opponent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He dodged the question smoothly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he opened a drawer and pulled out a bracelet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— A blood-flow monitor. I might unintentionally be tense, right?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a fail-safe to prevent the self-destruct from triggering by accident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘So the self-destruct is real…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once his blood flow stabilized, Kejen approached one of the few square cabinets on the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— Watch closely. The moment the Kardal royal seal returns to the world!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He placed his hand on the sensor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A ring of orange light spread out from the center of the panel, and then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Click!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The heavily locked cabinet swung open, releasing a magnificent radiance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>FWAAAAH!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Guh—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Wow. Is loot even allowed to shine like that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jeonggu, Yeongwoo, Amana, and even the golden goblin couldn’t keep their eyes open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— This light is one of the key authenticity markers. A unique trait of the Kardal royal seal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen shielded himself behind the cabinet door, then pulled out a transparent film and draped it over the seal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did the blinding light fade enough for them to see the object.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…That’s ridiculously huge.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The royal seal of the Kardal kingdom looked far more brutal than expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was essentially a giant metal gauntlet crushing the earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kardal… is their royal line warlike or something?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— Extremely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And you stole something from them? What kind of nerve must you have?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— A warlike kingdom has plenty of enemies. Which means plenty of potential clients.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clients who would even break him out of prison to obtain it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This bastard… you really plan far ahead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— A true master thief must have grand designs for everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he held his hand out to Yeongwoo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— Give me your admission pass again. I need to register this for sale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only with the pass could he deposit the seal in the Black Zone’s storage—the safest vault in the sector.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Yeongwoo immediately shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not letting you borrow the pass. You’re giving me the seal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— What?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did you forget? The price for breaking you out was the seal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— But… weren’t we selling it together?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And we are selling it together.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Yeongwoo flicked his finger, Kejen scowled and hugged the seal tightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— Damn it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He reluctantly handed the seal over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment Yeongwoo took it, a strange gleam flashed across his eyes—and an unexpected system message appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Royal Seal Contact: +0.3 Prestige」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Knew it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His intuition had been right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the royal seal of an interstellar empire. Of course direct contact would increase prestige.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Prestige Level: 49]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>40\u002F100\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*Prestige point cost per Karma: 18.4 billion\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You bastard… it raises prestige just by touching it. Why didn’t you tell me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen’s ears twitched as he widened his eyes in surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— It did? I stole it so long ago I forgot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You didn’t hide it on purpose?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— Why would I? The stronger you get, the safer my deal becomes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Jeonggu spoke carefully, staring at the seal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Can I touch it too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jeonggu was family after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no reason not to let him copy prestige for free.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Jeonggu touched the seal, the same glow wrapped around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>FWAAA!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How much did it go up, Father?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jeonggu looked at his hand and muttered,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“2.3… Went up two whole stages.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Holy crap.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While father and son were speechlessly gawking, Amana fidgeted awkwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— Um… then maybe I could…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before she even finished the sentence, Yeongwoo shoved the seal into her arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You also have the obligation to survive today.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— Obligation… to survive?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She blinked in shock at the unexpected words—and that was when the planetary court quest updated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Piiiiing!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Planetary Court] “Balanced Fate”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reunite with the following three individuals: (0\u002F3)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-Aldo, the second prince of Doatel\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-Amana, the guardian of Sacred Sutral\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-Taru, the last hope of Pigot\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The system acknowledged that meeting Amana here counted as a proper “reunion.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the Hypocrite Compendium activated, filling Yeongwoo’s vision with notifications.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Hypocrisy detected!」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Saving Amana Says]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grade: D\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>_You saved Amana Says for the sake of clearing the Court Trial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though you only viewed her as a tool to achieve your objective, you still prevented the universe from losing another righteous being.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What the—?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like that, he had completed both the Court Trial objective and added another page to the Hypocrite Compendium.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo couldn’t help murmuring:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well… I guess I no longer need to survive to get out of here alive.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>",1642,"2026-06-09T07:04:15.797Z",1,"novelbin.me","45855e71ddfacfda14a7a8dfaa7568528601bc3375b4f27dce87e1b83d5ccb81","level-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-chapter-586","level-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-chapter-584",688,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Flevel-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-cover.jpg"]