Sung awakens fully healed. Was it a dream? Woo Jinchul, the manager if the Hunter’s Association Surveillance Team, appears with his associate Kang Taeshik. Sung asks about Joohee and Mr. Song. While alive, Song Chiyul permanently lost his arm and may need to retire. Lee Joohee is suffering from the psychological cost of witnessing the events in the dungeon. Overall, only six hunters survived the dungeon. Sung was found without the temple and he was already healed. Woo asks Sung if he “experienced a second awakening?”
According to Woo, a “second awakening” basically reset the hunters abilities allowing them to become A or S ranked. Woo tells Sung to put his hands over a mana meter. Woo believes if the monsters were real then there should be some evidence. The mana meter, reads “10,” which according to Kang is low even for a E-Rank, which usually around “70.” If Sung is so weak, Woo wonders how he survived. Meanwhile, Sung tries to make sense of the screens only he can see.
Punished for ignorance
The “Quest Info,” found in one of the screens has a “daily quest” with a list of goals: 100 Push ups, 100 sit ups, 100 squats, and running 10km. The penalty for failure is an “appropriate penalty.” Sung doesn’t take the warnings seriously and doesn’t seem to notice a timer counting down. At night, a gate opens’ in the middle of the road. In the hospital, the time counts down and Sung is transported to a desert to face a Poison-Toothed Giant Desert Centipede. He’s tasked with surviving for 4 hours.
He survives. Sung learns his lesson and starts to work out. When he completes one of the daily tasks he receives three things: Full Recovery, Ability Points, and a random loot box. From his most recent loot he gets a key for an “instance dungeon.” Sung tries to clear the dungeon alone. Inside he’s attacked by several goblins. Sung is able to dodge them and parry the sword strikes. He’s on the defensive at first but finally impales a goblin with his dagger. He defeats the other goblin but isn’t let off the hook.
He’s ambushed by the Steel-Fanged Lycan. Sung is paralyzed with fear. The Lycan lunges at Sung who’s too afraid to move. Solo Leveling is really starting to live up to the hype. This episode was well paced and expanded the universe well. Sung’s new found abilities are clearly unique but I like how he has to work for it. The fact that the new ability appears like a video game makes it feel familiar, as anyone who’s played similar games have done the low level quests, waiting for loot to appear.
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