Chapter 481

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 481: Beyond the Orbit (7)

The Wall of Status.

It was an extremely cosmic expression, but the problem was—it could be broken.

‘What the… the wall of status collapsed?’

According to the system message, the wall had crumbled due to a cosmic achievement.

In other words, the ownership of a planetary ship had finally allowed him to transcend the wall of status.

Which also meant—

‘That damned wall of status… it’s seriously hard to cross.’

After all, it’s not like just anyone can achieve a feat as monumental as acquiring a planetary ship.

So then, what exactly did the system mean by “status”?

‘How many things in the universe could be considered status?’

First, there was Prestige—the power that could be considered a status of force.

Then there were legal ranks in cosmic law, a sort of hierarchical class.

And finally, the concept of bloodline, represented best by the “royal family.”

‘But it’s not like owning a planetary ship suddenly makes you royalty… right?’

Besides, Yeongwoo knew well how a dynasty is begun.

It is said that one who writes their own myth can found a royal house.

But just owning a planetary ship hadn’t forged a mythic artifact—so that possibility was out.

‘Then it’s either prestige or class.’

As Yeongwoo waited for the foretold “existential shock,” staring into space—at last, something happened.

KWA-A-A-ANG!

Suddenly, thick golden smoke began to stream from Yeongwoo’s eyes.

—What the hell’s up with this guy?

Jiseon, who noticed it first, was startled and rushed toward him.

Right behind her, Jeonggu ran with his mouth wide open to reach his son.

But neither could approach Yeongwoo.

When they tried to reach out, a transparent barrier blocked them.

THU-U-UNG!

With a loud crash, everyone trying to get close to Yeongwoo was blasted backward.

Moro, witnessing it, widened her eyes in shock.

『What the heck is that thing that even his parents can’t touch him? What’s going on?』

She asked the question to Earth, which had just transformed into a planetary ship.

But even Earth didn’t understand high-concept ideas like the wall of status.

『I-I don’t know. I think he’s…』

…growing again, Earth was about to say, when Jeong Yeongwoo’s entire body was engulfed in golden light.

FWAAAAA—!

It was like looking at a human-shaped star, causing both Moro and Parina to flinch instinctively.

『What is this brat… turning into?』

Moro had naturally realized it too.

That the possession of a planetary ship was elevating this once-insignificant being’s very essence.

KWA-A-A-ANG!

A towering pillar of golden light erupted from Yeongwoo, piercing the control room’s ceiling and reaching far into outer space.

And at that moment, Yeongwoo—

‘Ah…!’

—was literally experiencing an existential shock.

In a boundless space connected to his consciousness, he was drifting through titanic presences like mountains.

‘Th-this is…’

In that space, Yeongwoo was no more than a tiny speck.

From time to time, invisible currents would rush through, sweeping him far away.

And each time, as he was carried along, he gazed at the immovable “mountains” with awe and envy.

‘Who… what are those things?’

He instinctively understood—they were scattered cosmic beings across the universe.

KWA-A-A-ANG!

Once more, a dark current surged from some unknown part of the void.

‘Ugh…!’

Yeongwoo tried desperately not to get swept away, but it was no use.

KWA-A-A!

In an instant, he was pushed forward again—drawn between the mountain-like presences like a leaf on a stream.

‘Urgh!’

Then, for the first time, he saw a figure that looked different from the rest.

‘…Huh?’

Far in the distance, a structure that resembled a broken tower.

Like the other mountainous presences, it too was a giant shadowy form, but it unmistakably had the shape of a tower.

Upon seeing it, Yeongwoo could only murmur softly:

‘…Lemu? That’s the Machine Tower, isn’t it?’

The current swept him forward once more.

And beyond the strange tower, he caught sight of a rugged rock-like form.

‘…Toma.’

This time, he didn’t even hesitate.

He knew what he was seeing—the domain of fourth-tier beings.

‘Then those things must be…’

Beyond Toma’s form, countless other heavy, shadowy figures appeared—each with a different shape.

But Yeongwoo couldn’t identify them.

He simply hadn’t encountered enough fourth-tier beings before.

‘If I had more knowledge, I could have recognized them all…’

He instinctively knew—this was a moment that would never come again.

This space could only be accessed at the very moment the wall of status collapsed.

KWA-A-A-ANG!

Then, from the side, another current swept in and carried Yeongwoo out of the fourth-tier domain.

‘W-wait! I can’t stay here?’

Yeongwoo was quick-witted.

He realized what was happening: this whole experience was resetting his cosmic status.

KWA-A-A-A—!

At the outskirts of the fourth-tier domain, Yeongwoo saw three figures floating side-by-side—likely the forms of planetary inspectors.

Then, he was pushed out once more into a region full of towering presences.

‘So those guys… must be fifth-tier beings.’

Now that he could gauge what these massive forms were, Yeongwoo no longer felt afraid.

SHWAAAA—…

Then, Yeongwoo’s consciousness—once no more than a mere grain—began to expand.

‘Huh, it’s slowing down.’

Sensing a sharp drop in flow velocity, Yeongwoo looked back.

The 4th-tier zone was no longer even visible.

All that remained were looming black mountains rising and falling from every direction.

‘Chairman… The Chairman’s emblem must’ve been beyond that place too.’

A realization that came too late.

Even if he had realized it earlier, he likely wouldn’t have made it through the 4th-tier zone anyway.

Shiiiii!

By now, Yeongwoo was already passing through the outer edge of the 5th-tier zone.

There were no signs or markers in this space, but he could just tell.

‘What the… I’ve fallen all the way down to the noob zone.’

The towering mountains still crowded behind him, yet in front of him stood countless pillars that emitted no sense of threat whatsoever.

They swayed left and right with the movement of the torrents that filled the space—like buoys floating in the sea.

But there were so many of them that it gave off a slightly eerie feeling.

‘Almost looks like a graveyard.’

Just as Yeongwoo finished taking in this new area, the torrent that had carried him forward also came to a stop.

No—more accurately, it was that the torrent could no longer affect him.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

At some point, he had come to a complete halt.

A vague spot, with the 5th-tier zone behind him and the 6th-tier zone ahead.

‘Wait, is this… my place?’

Just as Yeongwoo questioned it, countless roots burst out from beneath his consciousness and gripped the space around him.

‘No, go back! I felt like I could’ve held on if I pushed a bit more!’

But it seemed all procedures had ended.

His vision was already starting to brighten.

This mysterious space was closing.

‘W-wait! No—!’

Yeongwoo flailed his arms inside his consciousness, as if trying to resist.

And then—

“You sons of bitches! I said wait!”

The moment Yeongwoo finally regained his voice, he was already inside the control room, waving his arms around.

—Huh…?

『What the hell was that, just now?』

『What did he see…?』

Everyone held their breath, waiting for Yeongwoo’s next move—when suddenly, the beam of light that had once shot up into the sky came shooting back down.

Shhhhhhhaaaa!

Naturally, Jiseon and Jeonggu quickly backed away, and even Moro was so startled she conjured a large shield using her hair.

But all the beam of light did, upon descending, was—

PUFF!

—wrap itself around Yeongwoo again and then seep gently back into his body.

Immediately after, a system message with radiant colors appeared before Yeongwoo’s eyes.

「The Wall of Status has collapsed.」

「You can now access all levels of existence.」

A message that seemed packed with implications.

But Yeongwoo understood exactly what it meant.

—That lowly Lemu is a 4th-tier existence. It’s not like he’s going to leave behind a great feat, so he’ll stay stuck there until the day he perishes.

These were words the Chairman had once said about Lemu.

In other words, in this universe, if one does not accomplish a great feat, they can never move beyond the 4th-tier.

Which means…

‘Did I… just earn the right to go beyond the 4th-tier?’

Of course, he’d still need to survive long enough to make that happen.

Perhaps that’s why—

Piiing!

With a clear chime, Yeongwoo’s Prestige Level suddenly began to swell.

「Witnessed Planetary Movement +0.6」

「Witnessed Stellar Movement +1.1」

‘…What?’

When added to his existing accomplishments, this meant his Presence Level had just increased by two in an instant.

But then—

Piiing!

Another chime rang, pulling Yeongwoo’s status up to an entirely new dimension.

「Possession of Planetary Vessel +7」

“Ghk.”

Yeongwoo involuntarily let out a noise like he was about to gag.

His Presence Level had already gone up two levels—and now it surged another seven.

An otherwise impossible feat.

But this cosmic great feat had made it real, and Yeongwoo’s Presence Level exploded in magnitude.

FWOOSH!

“GAAAAAH!”

It was a strange sensation—like every nerve in his body was opening its eyes at once. Yeongwoo let out a shout.

From deep inside his throat, golden smoke billowed out and dispersed into the air.

It was then that his Presence Level display changed in a flash.

Flash!

[Presence Level: 48]

|00/100

*Karma needed per accomplishment point: 13.1 billion

With it, everyone around felt a massive surge in Yeongwoo’s presence.

Moro, unable to hide her astonishment, muttered in awe.

『You said you’d grow by a hundred million years each day, and damn… you actually did.』

It was her first heartfelt compliment.

But Yeongwoo’s attention was fixed on something else entirely.

*Karma needed per accomplishment point: 13.1 billion

‘No way… now I can’t grow just by having a lot of money, huh?’

He had finally stepped onto the threshold of true high-tier existence.

And then, a new system message appeared—formatted unlike anything he’d seen before.

【Existence Level has been upgraded to 6th Tier!】

But Yeongwoo knew.

He wasn’t just a regular 6th-tier being—he had anchored himself right on the border between the 5th and 6th tiers.

‘So what do I need to do next to reach the 5th-tier?’

To become like the mountain-like beings who didn’t even flinch at cosmic torrents.

What kind of great feat would it take to join their ranks?

As Yeongwoo naturally turned his gaze out the window toward the cosmos, a final gift for a planetary vessel owner revealed itself.

「Reward for the achievement “Moving Celestial Body” is awaiting collection.」

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]