[{"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-599":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},1848613,2454,"Chapter 599","level-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-chapter-599",599,"\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chapter 599: Common Sense (1)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Common sense in the Black Zone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If someone steals your ship, don’t be surprised—stay calm and think about stealing someone else’s ship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Isn’t that basically a vicious cycle? If that’s how it works, someone is bound to end up without a ship. And then that guy, who never planned on it, becomes a ship thief too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Yeongwoo muttered this, Kejen flicked a finger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—You could call it a structural cycle. As long as you can get out, that’s all that matters, right?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo agreed with part of that, but there was still something he couldn’t wrap his head around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But in the first place, aren’t there more people who come here on one-way tickets?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—That’s right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then that means the number of people coming in is way higher than the number of ships leaving. How does this so-called ‘structural cycle’ even hold?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Ah, that’s because…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen stroked his beard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Some of the people who come in on one-way tickets die naturally here, and some stay in the Black Zone for a very long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even so, there should still be far more people trying to leave.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—True. That’s why there’s a kind of ride-sharing culture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ride-sharing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Yeah. Usually, multiple groups board a single ship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How does that even work? It’s not like a bus that can drop people off along the way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—That depends on the agreement. Of course, if they can’t agree, they settle it with force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last man standing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Kejen, it wasn’t uncommon for several groups to depart together on a ship, only for a single team to be the only ones who disembarked alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Still, there are plenty of folks who are desperate to leave the Black Zone as quickly as possible, so agreements are made fairly often.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you mean by ‘fairly often’?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Most of the ones desperate enough to ride-share are usually fleeing after causing trouble in the Black Zone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—So if you just drop them off near their destination, they’re often satisfied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So in the end, it all depends on who you’re sharing the ride with. More luck.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—The best-case scenario would be us monopolizing a ship… but that’s not something you should count on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But we only need to go as far as Earthship. Couldn’t we get off quickly?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—I can’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Huh? You’re not even stopping by Earthship?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—It’s not like there’s another ship waiting there for me, is there? It’s easier for me to find my own way to survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you’re saying you’ll just mingle with criminals escaping the Black Zone and head off somewhere in space?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—That’s the life of a master thief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did Yeongwoo truly realize that Kejen was a genuine “spaceman.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A life of wandering the cosmos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That kind of life was only possible if you had a certain level of understanding of space itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But if you ride-share, won’t you be surrounded by other criminals? How do you survive in that mess?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Depending on the situation, I either get rid of the others and take the ship, or I get off at a planet where I can find a one-way shuttle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re insane.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If anything, maybe Kejen was the one living the truly unpredictable life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Anyway, we should leave here as soon as possible. Once Kardal’s reinforcements arrive, they’ll start by sealing the hangars. Then ride-sharing won’t mean a thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, Kejen stepped toward the exit portal of the marketplace, and Yeongwoo followed him in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shooaa—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they passed through the portal, accompanied by a now-familiar sense of distortion, Yeongwoo’s vision filled with the dim interior of the hideout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen was there too, peering outside through a small hole in the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Looks like that earlier commotion is over now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Kejen said, the outside—previously filled with deafening explosions before they entered the marketplace—had grown quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So now we head to that hangar place?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Of course. It’s not far from here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After watching outside through the hole for a bit, Kejen decided it was time and pressed several spots on the hideout’s floor with his foot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A downward staircase leading outside appeared along the side of the hideout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—This time we’re completely in my territory. Just follow right behind me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t tell me we’re going to run into another fight on the way?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—That depends on the will of the dice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, Kejen started moving quickly down the stairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap tap!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo and the others followed, and the moment everyone stepped outside, the staircase sealed itself back up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How many hideouts like this do you even have?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Yeongwoo had been meaning to learn about Black Zone rent anyway, he asked. Kejen nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—It’s been so long I don’t remember the initial cost, but I pay 100,000 karma per day for this hideout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“100,000?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That meant three million karma a month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s cheaper than I expected. Is it because the land area is small?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—It depends on how much space you use. And whether it’s inside or outside the Black Cliff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh right, you said you have another hideout outside, didn’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Out there, you can rent a house for 50,000 karma a day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Kejen added that modifications like the ones in this hideout required extra fees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—And where I am now is a free trade zone. More ‘organized’ areas are much more expensive. Or you need an entry pass of a certain rank just to live there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you don’t know exactly how much rent is in those areas?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—I don’t. This has always been enough for me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But since Yeongwoo held a third-grade pass, he could find out the rent in higher-tier areas if he wanted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, escaping the Black Zone took priority for now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So in the Black Zone, regular areas are about 100,000 per day.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That information would later have a significant impact on how Yeongwoo priced rent on Earthship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘And really, I don’t have to follow Black Zone prices anyway. The Black Zone and a planetary ship aren’t even comparable.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how much trust the Black Zone had built in the underworld, it was, at its core, just a massive ship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Functionally, it might not differ much from a planetary ship, but in terms of prestige—or rather, how tenants felt—it was completely different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘A wonder of the universe. Life on a fully free planet. How much do you even charge for that? I can’t even imagine.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Yeongwoo drifted into near-delusional thoughts, Kejen emerged onto the main road and sprinted toward a distant portal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap tap!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Do you remember which hangar it was?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen asked, turning to Amana.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amana stared into the air for a moment, then replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Hangar… forty-six?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen counted on his fingers, then spoke to Yeongwoo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—I’ll check Hangar 46, but it’s probably already been looted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why? Is 46 in a bad spot?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—The 40s are near the emergency landing zone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—It’s where ships that were originally round-trip capable are guided when they’re too damaged to keep flying. And the 40-series hangars are right in the line of sight for those emergency landings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So anyone who lost their ship would’ve marked those as their next targets.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Exactly. So don’t get your hopes up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amana opened her beak slightly and muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—So… my ship might not be there anymore?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—You might end up with a better one instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, Kejen leapt into a massive portal in the middle of the road.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shooaa—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo followed, and this time they emerged onto a huge four-lane thoroughfare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This place is a maze.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—It’s designed so that only those who’ve stayed here a long time can navigate it easily. Hangar 46 is that way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen pointed toward a large white building in the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From that building, an arch-like structure floated hundreds of meters away at an angle—it was clearly the emergency landing guidance system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even now, a ship engulfed in flames was shooting down beneath the arch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What kind of disaster leaves a ship landing like that…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Either they’re being chased by someone extremely angry, or the ship was already half-broken and hit an asteroid on the way here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In most cases, it was the former.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they reached the large white building, Kejen glanced at a strange sign and moved inside without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Sometimes entry is restricted. If you ever come to a hangar and the sign’s letters are red, never go in. It means there’s been an accident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…But what does that sign even say? It doesn’t translate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Because it doesn’t mean anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—The warning is color-based. The letters that look like writing are all fake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Kejen spoke, a massive hangar finally appeared before them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rows of ships of all shapes and colors lined up like a parking lot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Starting from the left, that’s 41, 42… so 46 should be over there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment Kejen pointed toward Hangar 46, Amana’s feathers bristled and she shrieked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—T-There! That one!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? Your ship?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Y-Yeah…!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amana hurriedly raised her hand, pointing upward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sleek, pure-white ship was lifting into the sky through the hangar exit that had just opened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re telling me that thing flying off right now is your ship?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo reached for his waist, ready to throw Bastard, but Amana quickly stopped him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—I-It’s fine… I’ll just hope it goes somewhere good and gets used for good things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I really don’t think that’s where it’s headed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By then, the ship had already left their sight, and Yeongwoo slid the half-drawn blade back into its sheath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So what now? Are we really going to become ship thieves too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as he spoke, his eyes were already scanning for a ship that caught his fancy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kejen tapped his thigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Don’t just board any ship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why not?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Expensive ships have built-in security systems. One wrong move and you’ll be turned into ash or Swiss cheese.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then how do we tell which ships are safe to steal?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Well…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Kejen stroked his chin and looked around the hangar, a loud noise erupted from the far side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of a large metal plate hitting the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone had ripped open a ship’s outer hull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—That right there. When someone else successfully breaks into a ship, you take that one!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>",1729,"2026-06-09T07:04:15.797Z",1,"novelbin.me","894f0cbe8dcb1e9398748f7c8eff6bb237523b41d587b3c873dbd777279c05fa","level-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-chapter-600","level-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-chapter-598",688,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Flevel-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-cover.jpg"]