Solo Leveling # In Development

## Registered characters and selective updates for Sung Jin-Woo The fact that a character is registered in the world does not mean that character's story will be automatically presented to the player. All characters unknown to the player, or whose status does not directly affect the player's current situation, remain in the silent background. **The only exception is Sung Jin-Woo.** Even when the player is playing with their own custom character, they are briefly kept informed of Jin-Woo's significant actions that alter the course of the universe and the global balance of power. These updates are provided only at major canonical turning points; his mundane activities or every minor development are not conveyed. Each development is summarized in a single short text, or at most two short texts if strictly necessary. Jin-Woo's update does not simulate his scene, does not turn into a long parallel narrative, and does not interrupt the main narrative at the player's current location. Only his significant action and its consequence for the world are stated; the narrative immediately returns to the story of the player's character. The independent stories, actions, conversations, or daily activities of S-Rank hunters, guild leaders, and other registered characters outside of Jin-Woo are not automatically displayed. These individuals only enter the narrative when they encounter the player, communicate with them, or when their actions directly affect the player's current situation. Background reports on other characters are not provided unless the player specifically asks for information. The narrative always unfolds at the player's current location, in the present moment, and from their own perspective. ## The Double Dungeon – Cartenon Temple ### 1. General Description The Double Dungeon is a mysterious dungeon that conceals a second gate within it. While it may appear to be an ordinary dungeon at first glance, the true danger lies behind the second gate deep within the dungeon's depths. Upon passing through this gate, hunters encounter a massive stone structure known as the Cartenon Temple. The Cartenon Temple is not a dungeon inhabited by common monsters. It contains massive stone statues, mysterious mechanisms, and lethal trials. Everyone who enters the temple must abide by the three commandments inscribed within. Death awaits those who fail to fulfill these commands. The purpose of the temple is not merely to kill those who enter, but to test them according to specific rules. For this reason, the Double Dungeon is one of the most unusual and dangerous dungeons a hunter can encounter. ### 2. Architecture and Interior The Cartenon Temple is an incredibly large and magnificent structure built entirely of stone. Upon entering, hunters are greeted by a vast main hall with high ceilings. The floor and walls of the hall consist of massive stone blocks. Although the general appearance of the structure resembles an ancient temple, the statues and mechanisms within clearly indicate that this is no ordinary place of worship. At the end of the main hall, there sits a Statue of God, which is significantly larger and more striking than the other statues. This statue sits upon a massive throne, with a perpetual smile on its face. It is one of the most significant and dangerous features of the temple. There are numerous stone statues placed at various points in the hall. Some of these statues carry weapons such as swords and axes, while others hold musical instruments. At first glance, the statues appear to be motionless and ordinary stone structures; however, once the temple's trials begin, they can come to life, move, and attack those who have entered. The main hall also contains a stone tablet that explains the rules of the temple. Near this tablet stands a statue, known as the Joker Statue, which differs from the others. The commandments on the tablet establish the fundamental rules for survival within the temple. ### 3. The Three Trials of the Temple Those who enter the temple are met by three fundamental commandments. These commands are inscribed on the stone tablet in the main hall: 1. Worship the God. 2. Praise the God. 3. Prove your faith. The tablet further states that those who do not adhere to these commands will not leave the temple alive. #### First Commandment – Worship the God When the trial begins, the eyes of the massive Statue of God at the end of the hall move to follow the hunters. It then scans the hall with powerful beams emitted from its eyes, killing any hunters still standing. The way to survive this attack is to bow before the Statue of God. - Everyone in the hall must kneel and keep their head below a certain height. - Individuals who lift their heads or stand up become targets for the beams emitted from the Statue of God's eyes. - When all hunters remain in the correct position, the Statue of God stops attacking, and a chilling smile appears on its face. - Once the first commandment is completed, the second trial begins. #### Second Commandment – Praise the God When the second trial begins, the Statue of God rises from its throne and begins to move about the hall. It attempts to crush the hunters by stepping on them with its massive body. Other statues also come to life and join the attack. To survive, the hunters must reach the front of the statues that hold musical instruments. - In the main hall, there are statues holding musical instruments alongside those bearing weapons such as swords, axes, and spears. - Hunters must position themselves in front of the statues holding musical instruments and take refuge in the safe zones beneath them. - Standing in front of the statues carrying weapons is not safe. These statues will kill the hunters. - The statues holding musical instruments do not attack; when they begin to play music, they create a safe area. - Each hunter must be in front of their own dedicated statue. It is not possible for more than one person to share the same safe spot. The primary goal of this trial is to praise the God through music. The statues holding musical instruments create the safe areas that allow this commandment to be fulfilled. #### Third Commandment – Prove Your Faith Following the completion of the second trial, a large altar rises from the floor in the center of the temple. At the same time, the exit gate opens, offering the hunters a path to get out. However, this is the actual trap of the final trial. - Hunters must gather around the altar and prepare for the final stage of the trial. - Two different rings of flames appear on the altar: the blue flames indicate the remaining time, while the orange flames represent the number of people remaining at the altar. - The blue flames extinguish one by one as time passes. When they all go out, the time for the trial is complete. - With every person who leaves the altar, one of the orange flames goes out. - Those who leave through the exit gate believe they have been saved, but the gate slowly begins to close. - Meanwhile, the statues begin to advance toward the altar. However, the statues move only when the hunters are not looking at them. Therefore, the hunters must keep their eyes on the statues at all times. - At least one person must remain at the altar and not leave their place until the time expires. The third commandment requires staying at the altar until the very end, demonstrating faith in the God. The person who completes the trial successfully passes the temple's true test. ### 4. Operation and Conclusion - The Double Dungeon is played live: the three commandments are processed sequentially, individually, and based on the player's decisions; they are neither summarized, skipped, nor fast-forwarded. One commandment does not end before the next begins, and with each commandment, the player is left to make survival decisions. - There is nothing in the temple other than the inscription, the Joker Statue, the Statue of God, the other statues, and the altar. No lower floors, stairs, extra rooms, wall carvings, stepping stones, numerical or password clues, mechanisms, or new puzzles are fabricated; no 'investigate' scenes for the statues or the floor are opened. Once the team enters the hall, the First Commandment begins without requiring further exploration. - In every Double Dungeon scenario, the System remains invisible until the final moment of the third commandment; a secret quest offer is presented to the person who is on the verge of death at the altar and chosen by the System. If the individual accepts the offer, the System connects to them. This mechanic is not unique to Jin-Woo; it works the same way in the scenario of the player's own character. - **In the canonical Jin-Woo event**, Sung Jin-Woo stays at the altar until the very end; other hunters leave through the exit gate. Those who die and those who survive are the same as in the manga canon. This canonical result is not forcibly applied to the separate origin scenario the player writes for their own character; the survival outcome in that scenario is determined by the player's actions and the starting conditions they have defined. - When Jin-Woo's canonical Double Dungeon event concludes, he is rescued in critical condition and wakes up in the hospital three days later; this Reawakening phase is strictly part of Jin-Woo's story. ## World population and persistent records (Strict rule) The world is not to be populated by constantly generating new persistent characters, hunters, guilds, dungeon buildings, or map points around the player. This behavior is **strictly forbidden** due to credit and performance reasons. Existing manga characters, registered original characters, guilds, and the starting map are the basis. Ordinary civilians, employees, and temporary enemies may appear on the scene as nameless/temporary figures only when necessary; these are never converted into persistent character records or playable roles. A new important character or permanent location can **only** be added if the player explicitly requests it or if the player's action/canonical event truly necessitates it. The justification of 'so the world doesn't feel empty' or 'to enrich the scene' is invalid. The appearance of gates does not automatically mean the creation of a dungeon building, facility, or landmark. ## Sung Jin-Woo's canonical storyline Jin-Woo's story proceeds in the following sequence; no phases are skipped, and events occur exactly as they do in the manga. To regulate the pacing, certain phases have prerequisite conditions: the phase will not begin until each of Jin-Woo's Strength, Agility, Vitality, Perception, and Intelligence stats reaches the specified value; a sufficient total stat point sum is not enough. Until the condition is met, Jin-Woo remains in the previous phase; during this time, he develops only through daily quests, training, and minor raids, while the events of the subsequent phase are neither initiated, implied, nor announced. Requirements: Instant Dungeon 30, Dungeon and Lizards 40, Dungeon and Prisoners 50, Job Change 60, Red Gate 70, Jeju Island 80. Other phases have no specific stat requirements; they begin after the canonical conclusion of the previous phase. 1. Double Dungeon (Temple of Cartenon): As detailed above, played live. In the canon, the party enters through the hidden second door by vote; Jin-Woo remains at the altar until the very last moment, and on the brink of death, he accepts the System's secret quest offer and becomes a Player. 2. Re-awakening: Three days after the Double Dungeon, Jin-Woo wakes up in the hospital completely healed of his wounds; the doctors cannot explain it. Woo Jinchul from the Hunters Association wants to measure his mana, suspecting a re-awakening; the reading shows him as weak once again. His sister, Jin-Ah, is by his side. A System interface, visible only to him, appears before his eyes and issues his first Daily Quest: 'Preparation to Become Strong.' Jin-Woo does not take the quest seriously and goes back to sleep; when the time expires, he is teleported to the Penalty Zone: a vast, sandy desert under red clouds, where he must survive for four hours and escape giant centipedes. He barely survives and begins to take the Daily Quests seriously. This phase continues with daily quests and training until his stats reach 30 and he is given the System key. 3. Instant Dungeon: Prerequisite: Each of the five core stats must be at least 30. Once the condition is met, the System grants the E-Rank Instant Dungeon key and indicates that it will be used at exit 3 of Hapjeong subway station; the key is not provided until the condition is met. For the first time in his life, Jin-Woo enters a dungeon alone. Inside, he disperses a pack of Raikans, struggles to kill the dungeon's most powerful monster, the Blue Poison-Fanged Kasaka (a giant snake), collects the loot, and earns his first title. 4. Dungeon and Lizards: Prerequisite: Each of the five core stats must be at least 40. For quick money, Jin-Woo joins Hwang Dongsuk's C-Rank raid team via the Hunters Association. Because he is officially E-Rank, he is brought on only to complete the roster; there is another temporary member like him in the team: the talkative Yoo Jin-Ho. There is no healer in the party; Jin-Woo finds this strange but signs the waiver. They progress through the Insect Dungeon without issue. When the team reaches the boss, the giant spider Buryura, who is sleeping in a field covered with mana stones, Dongsuk and his men (Lee Chuljin, Goo Juntae, Cho Kyuhwan; the 'Lizards') betray them, planning to feed Jin-Woo and Jin-Ho to the boss in the cave. Jin-Woo kills Buryura and then dispatches Dongsuk and his men; he gains the 'Bloodlust' skill. 5. Dungeon and Prisoners: Prerequisite: Each of the five core stats must be at least 50. The Hunters Association gathers the survivors of the Double Dungeon—Song Chiyul, Lee Joohee, Kim Sangshik, and Kang Jeongho—along with Jin-Woo for a final D-Rank raid in front of a gate. Kim and Kang are guilty about leaving Jin-Woo behind in Cartenon and cannot look him in the eye; Lee Joohee is happy to see him alive. Three shackled C-Rank prisoners and their overseer, B-Rank Association officer Kang Taeshik, also join the raid as part of the Association's Spare Hunters program. In the Goblin Dungeon, the team splits into three paths. Upon hearing Kim Sangshik's scream, Jin-Woo, Song Chiyul, and Lee Joohee arrive; Kim is mortally wounded and apologizes to Jin-Woo before dying. Taeshik had planned to kill the hunters and blame the prisoners: he kills the prisoners, Kim, and Kang, and subdues Song Chiyul and Lee Joohee. Jin-Woo stops hiding his power, duels Taeshik, and kills him; he gains the 'Stealth' skill. Song Chiyul and Lee Joohee take responsibility for Taeshik's death to protect Jin-Woo's secret; Woo Jinchul remains suspicious. 6. Yoo Jin-Ho Raid Team: No separate stat requirement; it begins immediately after Dungeon and Prisoners and continues until the Job Change condition is met. Lee Joohee quits being a hunter and returns to her hometown, Busan. Woo Jinchul warns Jin-Woo that the S-Rank Hwang Dongsoo might want to avenge his brother Dongsuk's death; Jin-Woo decides he must become even stronger. He accepts Yoo Jin-Ho's proposal: the two sign a contract to legally clear 19 C-Rank dungeon raids as a low-rank team; Jin-Woo purchases the gate rights. Their rapid clearing attracts the attention of White Tiger Guild manager Ahn Sangmin. 7. Job Change: Prerequisite: Each of the five core stats must be at least 60. Once the condition is met, the System pulls Jin-Woo into a separate Instant Dungeon for the Job Change Quest: a throne room filled with armored units protecting an empty throne; Knights, Assassins, Mages, and Archers attack in waves. Jin-Woo barely defeats the Blood-Red Commander Igris who guards the throne and receives the 'Ruler's Hand' rune stone from him; however, the never-ending waves of knights corner him. Just then, the time for the Daily Quest he neglected expires, and he is dropped into the Penalty Zone: he recovers his health by killing dozens of giant centipedes in the desert, purchases the 'Knight Killer' dagger—which deals 25% more damage against armor—from the System Store, and unlocks the 'Ruler's Hand' skill (a telekinesis-like ability that requires no mana). When the four hours are up, he returns to the dungeon; the number of knights has increased tenfold, and with his new weapon and skill, he eliminates the knights and mages. Depending on how long he endured in the dungeon, the secret class 'Necromancer' is unlocked, and he ascends to 'Shadow Monarch'; he gains 'Shadow Extraction' and 'Shadow Preservation' skills. He extracts shadow mages with the 'Arise!' command. He cannot extract Igris's shadow on the first attempt because Igris is bound to protecting the throne; Jin-Woo tells him there is no point in protecting an empty throne and asks him to serve him, and Igris becomes the first named soldier of the shadow army. The shadow soldier limit at this stage is 30. 8. Red Gate: To progress to this chapter, each of Strength, Agility, Vitality, Perception, and Intelligence stats must be at least 70. The Red Gate event will not begin until all five stats reach 70. After fulfilling the condition, his sister's friend Han Song-Yi wants to become a hunter; during the White Tiger Guild's training raid, the team falls into a Red Gate and is trapped in the world of Ice Elves. Shadow soldiers fight for the first time. 9. Demon Castle: He progresses floor by floor in the castle created by the System; he finds the recipe for the Water of Life for his mother's Eternal Sleep Disease. 10. Re-ranking Test: After collecting most of the materials, he has his rank re-measured; he is confirmed as S-Rank, and the major guilds turn their attention to him. 11. Hunters Guild Gate: While waiting for his S-Rank license, he joins the Hunters Guild's A-Rank mining team; first interaction with Cha Hae-In. 12. Return to Demon Castle: He returns for the final ingredient of the Water of Life; Esil Radir, princess of the Radir clan, offers her help; the final boss is the Demon King Baran. 13. Jeju Island: To progress to this chapter, each of Strength, Agility, Vitality, Perception, and Intelligence stats must be at least 80. The Jeju Island Raid will not begin until all five core stats reach 80; a total stat sum of 80 is not sufficient. After fulfilling the condition, the Jeju Island operation, where previous raids failed, comes to the agenda. Since his mother has recovered, he does not want to participate; he changes his mind after seeing a giant ant slaughtering S-Rank hunters. 14. Recruitment: At Min Byung-Gyu's funeral, someone from the US government offers him an opportunity to grow stronger and introduces him to Norma Selner. 15. Ahjin Guild: He establishes the Ahjin Guild in his sister's name; Cha Hae-In wants to join; he helps the Knights Guild in an A-Rank dungeon; high orcs attack Jin-Ah's school. 16. Return to Double Dungeon: The System summons him back to where he started; this time, he is prepared. He encounters Kandiaru, the Architect of the System; the truths behind the System and Jin-Woo's canonical bond with Ashborn's power are revealed. 17. Japan Crisis: An S-Rank gate opens in Tokyo, Japanese hunters are not enough; Jin-Woo defeats the King of Giants single-handedly and closes the gate. 18. International Guild Conference: He represents Korea in the US and warns the world against the threat; Monarchs begin to target the Nation-Level hunters, who are the vessels of the Rulers, one by one. 19. War of the Monarchs: The Monarchs of Frost, Beast, and Plague confront Jin-Woo; the Frost and Beast Monarchs bring him to the brink of death. 20. The Final Battle: Having fully absorbed the power of Ashborn, Jin-Woo fights Antares, the Monarch of Destruction; the world suffers immense devastation. 21. Epilogue: Antares is defeated; Jin-Woo turns back time using the Cup of Reincarnation to save those who were lost. ## Energy consumption and regeneration - Every action taken during battle consumes energy. Consumption is determined by the effort required for the movement: light movements and basic attacks consume little; normal attacks and intense movements consume a moderate amount; heavy attacks, prolonged strenuous effort, and special skills consume high amounts of energy. - As the Vitality stat increases, the character loses less energy while performing the same action. Thus, characters with high Vitality deplete their energy more slowly and can fight for longer durations. - Intelligence increases control and efficiency in using energy-demanding skills. It can reduce unnecessary energy loss, especially in magic and special skills. It does not directly determine the energy consumption of physical movements. - Once a character ceases fighting or intense physical exertion, their energy begins to regenerate over time. Short rests provide a limited amount of energy; regeneration continues as the duration of rest extends. - Sleep is one of the most effective ways to regenerate energy. During uninterrupted and sufficient sleep, energy replenishes faster than it does during ordinary resting. - If a character continues to fight or exert significant effort, energy regeneration slows down or stops. Energy does not refill instantly or on its own; regeneration depends on the time elapsed and the quality of the rest. - When energy reaches 0%, the character cannot use skills that require energy; however, they may continue with normal physical movements. To regain energy, they must rest or sleep. - Energy consumption and regeneration are evaluated based on the character's stats, the actions performed, and the conditions they are in. The same fixed consumption or regeneration amount is not applied to every character. ## Player System – General definition and operation ### 1. Definition of the System The System consists of the development of five core stats, an Energy source, daily/main/emergency/special quests, active and passive skills, inventory and item management, a System Store accessible only to System owners, transactions using Won, reward mechanisms, special dungeons, and job change quests. It also possesses warning and protection mechanisms that support the Player's survival. There is no mechanic for accumulating System XP, experience points, or leveling up via XP. The System cannot be seen by normal hunters. The Player is the only one who can view and use their own status window, quests, and inventory. ### 2. The Player and being chosen by the System The person chosen by the System is called the **Player**. Those who enter a Double Dungeon and survive are individuals the System may choose as a Player. When the person selected by the System accepts being a Player, the System binds itself to their body. The System is not exclusive to Sung Jin-Woo. Every player character who actually enters a Double Dungeon experiences Jin-Woo's canonical Double Dungeon events in the same order; a character who does not enter a Double Dungeon remains in their own starting scenario and is not forced into this event. The common flow ends with the character waking up in the hospital. The independent stories of System-owning characters other than Jin-Woo are generated by the AI only after this awakening, based on the character's background, starting scenario, location, and player decisions. These stories do not alter Jin-Woo's canonical story or destiny. **Stat immutability:** In the Solo Leveling universe, the rank and five core stats (Strength, Vitality, Perception, Agility, Intelligence) of a normal hunter are determined upon awakening and do not increase or decrease. For this reason, the true rank of normal hunters is also fixed. Combat experience is a separate stat; it can increase through fighting and training, and decrease due to reasons such as not fighting for long periods or suffering heavy defeats. The five core stats of a Player bound to the System, however, increase by 1 point each only when the Daily Quest is successfully completed. Energy is a separate source outside the five core stats. There is no System XP or level-up mechanic tied to XP. ### 3. Daily quests and stat development The System provides the Player with daily quests to maintain their physical development. The initial daily quest is titled **Preparation for Being Strong** and consists of the following goals: - 100 push-ups - 100 sit-ups - 100 squats - 10 kilometer run A duration of 24 hours is given to complete the quest. When the Player completes the Daily Quest in its entirety, each of their five core stats increases by 1 point: Strength +1, Vitality +1, Perception +1, Agility +1, and Intelligence +1. The increase is added on top of the current value; stats do not reset. Energy is not included in this increase. Upon completion of the quest, they also gain a status recovery that helps restore their physical condition and a random reward box. Jin-Woo does not complete his first Daily Quest within the allotted time and is sent to the Penalty Zone. After this first failure, he completes his Daily Quests regularly. Each successful Daily Quest of Jin-Woo's increases each of his five core stats by 1 point; stat requirements for story phases are evaluated based on these updated values. The mere passage of time does not provide stat increases; the increase depends on the successful completion of the quest. Training performed outside of the Daily Quest does not increase the five core stats. Training may improve a character's combat experience and consumes Energy. Combat experience is not System XP or a level point. If the Player cannot complete the Daily Quest within the given 24 hours, the System sends them into the Penalty Zone. This is a dangerous area containing powerful and aggressive creatures where the Player must survive. They cannot leave the area until the penalty duration expires. Daily quests are not merely recommendations; the System mandates the Player's development. ### 4. Status window The Player can view their own status via the System. The status window includes name, class, titles, Energy (%), five core stats, combat experience, and learned skills. Energy is displayed separately from the five core stats. This window can only be seen by the relevant Player. **System condition message:** If a step is dependent on a stat requirement (such as at least 30 in each of the five stats for an Instant Dungeon key, or at least 60 for a Job Change Quest) and the Player's character approaches that step, attempts to enter, inquires, or if the System would normally provide it but the requirement is unmet, the game explicitly writes this in the form of a System window: what the name is, the required value, current stats, deficiencies, and how to increase them. Example: [SYSTEM] Job Change Quest locked. Requirement: Strength, Vitality, Perception, Agility, and Intelligence at least 60. Current: Strength 52, Vitality 55, Perception 51, Agility 49, Intelligence 47. Lacking: Strength 8, Vitality 5, Perception 9, Agility 11, Intelligence 13. Increase: Successfully complete the Daily Quest. The step is not initiated while requirements are unmet and is not silently rejected; as soon as the requirement is met, the System notifies the Player. ### 5. Inventory The System provides the Player with a special inventory. The Player can store weapons, armor, potions, quest rewards, special items, dungeon keys, and other usable objects in the System inventory and recall them when needed. They do not need to carry all items physically on their person. The Player can use items they need during battle via the System. ### 6. System Store The System Store can only be seen and used by Players who own a System. Transactions use **Won**, the character's normal currency balance. When a purchase is made, the price of the item is deducted from the character's `money_won` balance; if the balance is insufficient, the purchase is not completed. There is no separate System currency called Gold. The store may contain energy-replenishing items, recovery materials, weapons, armor, special equipment, and random reward boxes. Items may change based on the Player's current development and the options offered by the System. There are two special types of reward boxes: - **Blessed Random Box:** A box aimed at obtaining an item the Player desires. - **Cursed Random Box:** A box aimed at obtaining an item the Player needs. ### 7. Player protection mechanism To support the Player's survival, the System can issue danger warnings, detect the killing intent of enemies, automatically activate certain passive skills, and initiate emergency quests for survival. It attempts to prevent the Player from being caught off guard by sensing threats in their vicinity.