Chapter 205
Chapter 205
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 205
Chapter Title: Lowest-Ranked Commoner
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"Ah... this is driving me insane. What the hell is going on now? Isn't there anyone who can explain it straight? In a way even a guy like me can understand."
Yoo Seongwon was utterly baffled, but there was nothing he could do alone.
Frustrated, he opened the window and peered outside. All he saw was a shabby cityscape that matched the rundown apartment perfectly.
He didn't even speak Chinese, so there was nothing Yoo Seongwon could do from the start.
"No, why are they doing this to me...? I clearly said I'd help and let them take China... How did it end up like this? Should I at least make a phone call? I don't get what's going on..."
[Apologies for being late, Shogun. You said you wanted ramen, so I ordered and brought some.]
"...Hm?"
Crack!
Suddenly, the worn floorboards of the single-room apartment shattered as a portal opened, and the Heavenly Army Great General emerged.
He carried a small iron case that seemed too tiny for his massive frame, handing Yoo Seongwon a plastic-wrapped bowl of Japanese-style ramen and some pickled radish.
Yoo Seongwon had indeed wanted food, but he hadn't expected the general to deliver it personally. Flustered, he accepted the ramen anyway.
"...Why'd you come yourself? Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful... And I told you not to call me Shogun. Haaah~ Let's compromise on something like 'General' for now. Anyway, thanks for coming. Seeing you here really puts my mind at ease. So, the others aren't coming?"
[I wouldn't know. Suddenly, Lord Gaulp showed up and insisted we supply food to our hungry lord, so he gave me the address of a ramen place and told me to deliver it. The other knights can enter the 'Sanctuary,' but they can't reach where you are, General.]
"Hmm, the status window's acting weird too, and this place feels off somehow. But how were you able to come through? Slurp! Oh, this is ridiculously good."
[I don't know the exact reason. But now that I'm here, I can feel some strange power in this domain. It's like... it's like being inside another constellation's 'Core Dungeon.']
"Core Dungeon... Aha!"
Thanks to the Heavenly Army Great General's words, Yoo Seongwon snapped to attention as the puzzle pieces fell into place.
A Core Dungeon was a constellation's world, where the rules they set were absolute truth.
If they placed a table there and declared a game would decide the winner, that became law.
Everything bent to the constellation's will. And this country was no different—its people lived by the rules created by a constellation.
"And somehow, I've gotten caught up in those rules too."
[It seems that way.]
"But it's weird. The other knights can't come, so why you? If you made it, I figured your entire Commanderless Squad could too."
[I don't know the details, General.]
"Well, I have a rough idea... Let's see, haha-grade mincho. It's obvious... They're ranking people like pork cuts. Now it's starting to make sense. No doubt..."
Humans were divided into upper, middle, and lower tiers, then subdivided again into upper, middle, and lower.
Upper-upper, upper-middle, upper-lower. Middle-upper, middle-middle, middle-lower. Lower-upper, lower-middle, lower-lower. Something like that.
And Yoo Seongwon's rank was the lowest of the nine: lower-lower.
"So that's why they stuck me in this dump. Makes sense why the knights are blocked too. Those guys are all upper-upper at least... or maybe they classify them as special-grade or something? Hmm~"
[You as lower-lower grade? That doesn't make any sense, General.]
"Probably... they judged me purely as a human. Yeah, stripping away the system, stats, and skills I got from awakening—just looking at the raw human me."
His stats from awakening effects had reached the pinnacle of SS-grade, and his skills from the 'Star's Record' were all top-tier. For him to be rated lower-lower, they had to have evaluated Yoo Seongwon himself, nothing more.
"It's like a caste system. Except that's based on bloodline—this is... well, the constellation's judgment. Eeeum... They probably assign roles, duties, and education based on it."
It felt profoundly unfair, yet it made a twisted kind of sense because it came from a constellation.
The constellation classified humans—its nation's subjects—by talent and potential, assigning work and treatment accordingly. Extreme meritocracy.
Sure, one could argue endlessly: individual freedom, imperfect talent assessment unlike a game status window, ignoring nurture over nature, and so on. But against an absolute being like a constellation, such logic was meaningless.
"Euum, the real issue is what to do about my Heavenly Sword Army knights. Every one of them is special-grade talent... Eeeum..."
[They obviously want to subjugate them under their command. It feels like that was the goal from the start.]
"Or maybe that's just how that constellation thinks. Less a plan, more their natural disposition. Probably the latter."
There was no need to backstab someone who'd offered help first when they were already cooperating.
If they wanted his knights, they could've built trust through joint work or applied subtler pressure. But hitting Yoo Seongwon—their leader—right away? That had to be the constellation's rule, the principle turning this 'nation' into a Core Dungeon.
"Anyway, now the question is what to do next..."
[Aren't you going straight to the knights, General?]
"Nah. That'd just end with bruised feelings on both sides. If we're digging, might as well uncover the full structure of this Core Dungeon nation—find some weaknesses. Plus..."
[Plus?]
"I don't think my knights' loyalty is that flimsy. So, let's go! Time to hunt for weak points."
Yoo Seongwon shot to his feet and threw open the door, stepping outside.
Sure, he had no standout talents or abilities. But the grit forged from scraping by at the bottom among subhuman scum—that 'experience' was his true talent.
Thinking the Dragon-Phoenix King had misjudged him, the Heavenly Army Great General followed behind the general who'd placed him low.
***
Capital City, Dragon's Palace.
Knights like Yucheong had been given private suites in the Dragon's Palace, reserved for special-grade elites. Crowds of attendants served them personally.
Each room was larger than a typical building floor, luxuriously appointed like a top hotel, complete with electronics and training facilities.
The constellation Dragon-Phoenix King had even gifted them legendary weapons—some sourced from their original world, somehow.
"This hospitality is overwhelming. Or does he already see us as his subordinates?"
"N-No, Lord Yucheong. He simply said we'd collaborate, so our constellation Dragon-Phoenix King offers this in good faith. As the special-special-grade legion commander!"
The attendant sweated profusely, cowering before Yucheong's aura like a beast facing a predator.
Yucheong was isolated from the other knights, and without knowing his lord Yoo Seongwon's status, he grew increasingly anxious.
He'd tried secretly opening the knight order's sanctuary portal to reach him, but it wouldn't budge. He couldn't summon other knights or Heavenly Sword Army soldiers inside either.
"Then drop the weird titles and take me to His Majesty right now. Where is he?"
"W-We couldn't possibly know that."
The attendants trembled but refused to reveal Yoo Seongwon's whereabouts.
Without even his attendant Jinseok to care for him, Yucheong's frustration mounted.
He couldn't resort to force either—too many powerful presences emanated from elsewhere in the building.
Above all, not knowing Yoo Seongwon's location was the decisive factor.
"Until I know His Majesty's status, I accept nothing and cooperate on nothing."
Silence and sit-in were Yucheong's only options. The other knights in their rooms did the same, responding with firm refusal.
From a separate chamber, the constellation Dragon-Phoenix King watched them all. A mere silhouette behind curtains, yet he bobbed excitedly, seemingly pleased.
[Special-special-grade heroes! That's the spirit they should have. Legends from the 'Star's Record'—exceptionally outstanding and noble! Especially that Lord Yucheong, a knight bound by grand justice and loyalty, even executing kin and merits for his nation! Far too good for that Yoo Seongwon.]
"But Dragon-Phoenix King, those knights are all sworn to that Yoo Seongwon—the 'lower-lower grade mincho.' Why not raise his status and compromise...? Satisfy one, gain six special-special-grade knights—no, more..."
[Compromise? Elevate the incompetent and treat them well? Is that natural to you? Look what happened to your proud nation, obsessed with nepotism and connections. And now? Under me, we perfectly judge human superiority by talent, educate accordingly, and assign fitting status and treatment. A nation incomparable to your Communist Party days, no?]
"That's... true."
The guard captain who'd suggested it could only bow his head in agreement.
Unlike Chinese society, mired in 'guanxi' under any regime, the Dragon-Phoenix King's rule and judgments were precise and flawless.
No favoritism for kin or connections—everyone was measured by divine talent and ability, receiving status and treatment to match.
That's why countless supporters and citizens followed him. In mere decades, he'd achieved national growth the Communist Party never could, earning true recognition as China on the world stage.
[One exception may seem a minor flaw, but ignore not how such a crack can topple even a millennial empire. Anyway, I like their spirit, but we can't leave it like this. Any good ideas?]
"Probably not. With that level of loyalty—and legends in the 'Star's Record'—they'd face death... no, worse, without flinching."
[Which makes me want them even more. But installing an incompetent at the gates violates my rules. Any good solution?]
"Well, an idea occurred to me..."
[Speak it.]
"Then..."
Whisper whisper...
Another guard captain cautiously approached the Dragon-Phoenix King's curtained dais and offered his opinion.
The silhouette stirred upon hearing it. The captain shrank, fearing a mistake—but the reaction was the opposite.
Laughter boomed as the curtains shook with the ecstatic constellation's voice.
[Hahaha! Excellent! Superb advice! As expected of a guard captain! We'll implement it immediately.]
"Understood. And... do we not need to monitor Hunter Yoo Seongwon separately?"
[Wisdomless, talentless... a mere beast fit only for manual labor. What could he do? We've exposed him as 'lower-lower grade mincho'—he can't run wild in my territory anymore. Even if he hates it, he'll bow to any 'lower-middle grade minchuk' or higher. No need to worry.]
With that, the Dragon-Phoenix King's silhouette vanished.
To enact the proposed plan, the guard captain had to act personally—a time-consuming task.
The remaining captains, per orders, dismissed any concerns about Yoo Seongwon and scattered to their duties.