[{"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-657":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},1848628,2454,"Chapter 657","level-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-chapter-657",657,"\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chapter 657: The Great Prison Break (6)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A storyteller.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging by the situation, it seemed that the rumor about the ‘100-year covenant’ that Yeongwoo had been handing out as the price for passing through black holes had already spread this far.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A storyteller? Me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Yeongwoo asked into the pitch-black void, the voice in question once again seized control of the space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>● Aren’t you that Jeong Yeongwoo?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…That’s correct.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>● I heard that if we open a path for you, you will endlessly tell us astonishing and rare stories.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Endlessly continuing astonishing and rare stories.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the very least, none of the covenants Yeongwoo had made so far contained anything like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘These lunatics. They’ve been spreading rumors among themselves and exaggerating the contents more and more.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was absurd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even so, Yeongwoo was not reckless enough to immediately deny the exaggerated rumors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, what the black hole before him was expecting was precisely those endlessly continuing astonishing and rare stories.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if the ‘storyteller’ who had finally arrived here were to firmly state that there was no such thing…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If I did that, I’d probably get to experience firsthand the caprice and spite of black holes that I’d only heard about in rumors.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the reasons he had managed to survive in this harsh universe until now was precisely his sharp intuition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo immediately lowered his posture and addressed the other party.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As you already know, the covenant I offer in exchange for using the ‘passage’ takes effect on a 100-year cycle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>● Right. I heard you will come to see us directly every 100 years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes… so, right now, I am in the process of creating the astonishing stories that I will tell you then.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Yeongwoo said this, there was a sense that the entire darkness surrounding him swayed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kugugugugu…….\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>● What? Then are you saying you have no story to tell me right now? Why is this different from the promise?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘No, damn it… when did I ever make that promise?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo’s insides boiled, but he barely managed to restrain himself from letting out a curse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The covenant I offer is that I will return in 100 years and tell you a story. And for the sake of that future, I am asking you to open the passage now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it wanted to hear astonishing and rare stories, then it should first open the path and grant the storyteller time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Yeongwoo pleaded into the void like this, the Grade-3 prisoners who had been silently listening to the conversation until now began drawing their weapons one by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shwaaaaaat!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—This is impossible to tolerate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Wouldn’t it be faster to subdue it with a sword at this rate?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—A black hole is, at its core, still a celestial body. That means a blade can pierce it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grade-3 beings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected of sinners who had solved many things through sheer power, they were thinking of subduing the black hole with their swords and opening the passage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, not all the prisoners were ignorant about black holes, so more than half still kept their weapons sheathed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—If you kill the black hole? Then who opens the passage?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Would a being that lives with eternity submit to a mere sword? Commit a discourtesy, and we’ll be trapped here forever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—So even the dim-witted can accomplish great feats, it seems.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The division among the “presidents” was extremely swift and fierce.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who drew their swords, and those who did not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the Grade-3 prisoners split into two factions and growled at each other, Yeongwoo realized two things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Are the presidents saying they can even defeat a black hole? They must have felt its overwhelming presence with their own skin, and yet they’re still talking about stabbing it to death?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If that were true, then the might of a Grade-3 being was far beyond what Yeongwoo had imagined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But more than half of the presidents are trying to avoid friction with the black hole. This isn’t just about simple superiority in strength.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was probably due to the unique nature of a black hole.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hadn’t one of the presidents just said it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That if they committed a discourtesy, they would be trapped here forever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if one possessed the power to kill the black hole’s main body, one could not alter the fundamental properties of a celestial body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, no matter how strong one was, one could not defy the laws of nature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘On the flip side, that means at around Grade-3, you can actually beat up a black hole, huh.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Yeongwoo was thinking this, the distance between the divided Grade-3 prisoners closed in a dangerously threatening manner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this rate, it seemed that a full-blown clash between the prisoners was about to break out at any moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—You cowards! Draw your swords. Let us decide who is right the way of the universe!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Who are you calling cowards? It’s just that using a blade against fools like you would be a waste.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this, Yeongwoo pushed his way between the prisoners, who were practically on the verge of a brawl, and raised Bastard high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hwaeaeaeat!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Presidents! Are you really going to do this? It’s only been a few dozen minutes since we were trapped in Pahalufe, and already you’re showing off your strength?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that, the violently surging presences all came to a halt at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Partly because of Yeongwoo’s words that reminded them of their grueling imprisonment, but even before that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—It’s Vesedel’s relic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Ah, Dogo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—The challenger’s sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fact that the sword Yeongwoo had raised was ‘Bastard’ played a major role.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bastard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The final weapon of the fallen royal family Vesedel, and a sword forged to challenge Transcendents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Bastard」- Mythical One-handed Sword\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Authority Obstruction】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Contempt for the weak】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Challenger】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Authority Obstruction】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>|Weakens the authority of transcendents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Contempt for the weak】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>|This sword's attack can only be blocked with mythic or higher equipment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Challenger】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>|Combat abilities increase dramatically when fighting beings of higher rank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bastard itself symbolized a challenge against the strong—an outright provocation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, the mere appearance of this sword before everyone’s eyes brought many things to mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That while everyone present were indeed formidable beings in the universe, there existed things even stronger than them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Transcendents who stood above all things, and the Space Police Bureau that had been detaining over a thousand prisoners just moments ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strangely enough, Bastard vividly reminded them that they were still fugitives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—That’s right. Now is the time to conserve our strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Once we leave here, the Kaujo will pursue us again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Dogo must be laughing at us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Realizing their situation anew, the prisoners’ shoulders sagged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the black hole beyond the darkness stirred again and interjected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>● Prisoners? Are those lumps of stone gathered here prisoners?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lumps of stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was likely an expression referring to their mass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo raised his head toward the void and answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. They are prisoners who have just escaped from the Space Police Bureau.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>● Then the ones gathered around me right now must be the police.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed that the pursuit fleet of the Bureau was lined up beyond the black hole’s boundary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Yes. They’re probably waiting for us to be expelled. If you do not open the passage, not only these prisoners but I myself will be imprisoned again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If that happened, the 100-year covenant would not be kept either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>● Hah, quite a precarious bunch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black hole let out a scoffing snort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then it asked Yeongwoo again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>● If I were to open the path, what would happen to you?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I would flee to the other side of the universe, release these prisoners back into it, and I myself would be pursued by the Bureau.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>● For some reason, I feel like your covenant won’t be kept.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But if you do not open the path, my story ends right here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no path of return anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Yeongwoo pushed forward with sheer resolve, having cut off any retreat, the black hole in the darkness revealed itself for the first time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kwaaaaaaaaa……!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The darkness that had covered everything receded like a withdrawing tide, and in the distance, a massive structure appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What is that…?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The structure rising from within the darkness looked like a gigantic hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, it had only three fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>● Come closer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the black hole beckoned Yeongwoo forward, the prisoners in the area stepped aside to the left and right, opening a path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeongwoo stepped forward between the Grade-3 prisoners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Splash, splash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath his feet, darkness flowed like a stream, producing a sound as if he were stepping on water, while above his head, dense darkness rippled like seawater.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And as Yeongwoo alone advanced toward the structure in the midst of all this, the black hole that had been sitting atop the palm finally revealed its form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>● To think you would try to buy our favor by selling your future—your very existence is an interesting story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black hole, laughing heartily, was surprisingly in the form of a small boy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, instead of hair, scales extended long down his back like a cloak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had three eyes, including one set on his forehead, and each of their pupils shone with an immaculate white light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It must be impossible for you to even imagine. Having lived as a celestial body your entire life, surviving in this harsh universe as a lesser being is by no means easy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>● Is that why you drag around all those lumps of stone?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black hole raised a finger and pointed at the prisoners in the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that, Yeongwoo glanced back briefly and nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They are influential figures in my world. Someday, they will be a great help to my survival—insurance, in a way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>● A complicated life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And that is precisely what makes it an interesting story, isn’t it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Yeongwoo said this and sheathed Bastard at his waist, the black hole tilted its chin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>● My name is Turua. Remember it. You must come to see me again in 100 years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turua.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black hole closest to the Jegwit Galaxy, where the Space Police Bureau was located.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Remembering this fact, Yeongwoo immediately replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It is possible that I may meet you again within 100 years.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>● That would be good news for me. But why?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because you are the closest to the Space Police Bureau. So when the time comes for me to attack the Bureau, I will come to see you again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At those words, Turua burst into loud laughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>● Now you’re finally telling an interesting story. Good. I will open the path. Initiate the covenant!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>",1808,"2026-06-09T07:04:16.708Z",1,"novelbin.me","e6fffa0546bb2db12c6e502092b8ba4c23d11fdd8c823a96209b21a8234ca054","level-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-chapter-608","level-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-chapter-607",688,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Flevel-4-human-in-a-ruined-world-cover.jpg"]