Solo Leveling # In Development

## The Double Dungeon – Cartenon Temple ### 1. General Overview The Double Dungeon is a mysterious dungeon that contains a second gate within it. Although it appears to be an ordinary dungeon at first glance, the true danger lies behind the second gate found in its depths. Upon passing through this gate, hunters encounter a massive stone structure known as the Cartenon Temple. Cartenon Temple is not a dungeon inhabited by ordinary monsters. It contains massive stone statues, mysterious mechanisms, and lethal trials. Everyone who enters the temple must follow the three commandments inscribed within. Death awaits those who cannot 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 extraordinary and dangerous dungeons hunters can encounter. ### 2. Architecture and Interior Cartenon Temple is an extremely large and magnificent structure built entirely of stone. Upon entering, hunters are greeted by a vast main hall with a high ceiling. The floor and walls of the hall are made 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 is a Statue of God, much larger and more striking than the other statues. This statue sits on a massive throne and has a perpetual smile on its face. It is one of the most important and dangerous features of the temple. There are numerous stone statues placed at different 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 stationary and ordinary stone structures; however, when the temple's trials begin, they can animate and attack those who have entered. The main hall also contains a stone tablet explaining the rules of the temple. Near this tablet, there is a statue known as the Joker Statue, which is different from the others. The commandments on the tablet set the fundamental rules for surviving in the temple. ### 3. The Three Trials of the Temple Those who enter the temple are met by three fundamental commandments. These commandments are inscribed on the stone tablet in the main hall: 1. Worship the God. 2. Praise the God. 3. Prove your faith. The tablet also states that those who do not obey these commandments 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 track the hunters. Then, it scans the hall with powerful beams emitted from its eyes, killing any hunters who are 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. - Those who raise their heads or stand up become targets for the beams emitted from the eyes of the Statue of God. - 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 starts to move through the hall. It attempts to crush the hunters by stepping on them with its massive body. Other statues also animate and join in the attacks. To survive, the hunters must reach the front of the statues that hold musical instruments. - In the main hall, alongside statues carrying weapons like swords, axes, and spears, there are statues holding musical instruments. - Hunters must reach the front of the statues carrying musical instruments and take refuge in the safe zones beneath them. - It is not safe to stand in front of statues carrying weapons. These statues will kill the hunters. - The statues holding musical instruments do not attack; they create safe zones when they start playing music. - Each hunter must be in front of their own safe statue. It is not possible for more than one person to share the same safe spot. The fundamental purpose of this trial is to praise the God through music. The statues carrying musical instruments create the safe areas that ensure this commandment is fulfilled. #### Third Commandment – Prove Your Faith After the second trial is completed, a large altar rises from the floor in the center of the temple. At the same time, the exit door opens, offering the hunters a path to get out. However, this is the actual trap of the final trial. - The hunters must gather around the altar and prepare for the final stage of the trial. - Two different flame circles appear on the altar: blue flames indicate the time, while orange flames indicate the number of people remaining at the altar. - Blue flames go out one by one as time passes. When they all go out, the time for the trial is finished. - With every person who leaves the altar, one of the orange flames goes out. - Those who leave through the exit door think they are saved, but the door gradually begins to close. - Meanwhile, the statues begin to advance toward the altar. However, the statues only move when the hunters are not looking at them. Therefore, the hunters must keep their eyes on the statues. - At least one person must remain at the altar and not leave their place until the time is up. The third commandment requires one to believe in the God and remain at the altar until the very last moment. The person who completes the trial will have passed 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 not summarized, skipped, or accelerated. One commandment does not end before the next begins, and in each commandment, the player is left with the decision of how to survive. - There is nothing in the temple other than the inscription, the Joker Statue, the Statue of God, other statues, and the altar. No lower floor, stairs, additional rooms, wall reliefs, stepping stones, numbers or riddle clues, mechanisms, or new puzzles are invented; 'examine' scenes for statues or the floor are not initiated. After the team enters the hall, the First Commandment begins without requiring further exploration. - In every Double Dungeon, the System remains invisible until the final moment of the third commandment; it offers a secret quest to the person who stays at the altar until the very end and reaches the brink of death. If the person accepts the offer, the System connects to them. This mechanic is not unique to Jin-Woo; it works the same way if the player's character remains at the altar. The decision to remain at the altar belongs to the player; the System does not force this. - **Jin-Woo's Double Dungeon:** Starts on July 25, 2016, and ends on the same day. Sung Jin-Woo remains at the altar until the very last moment; other hunters leave through the exit door; those who die and those who survive are as in the manga canon. Jin-Woo is rescued severely injured and wakes up in the hospital on July 28, 2016. If the player is Jin-Woo, this event is played live; otherwise, it happens in the background, the commandments are not described, and only his rescue is briefly reported in the news once. - **The player's character's Double Dungeon:** If the Double Dungeon or Cartenon exists in the character's story, it takes place simultaneously with, but separate from, Jin-Woo's, in the character's own location. Its structure is identical to the temple above: the same hall, statues, tablet, three commandments, and rules. The team's identities, their number, and who dies are determined based on the character's background and the player's decisions; the location, commandments, or event structure are not changed. The common flow ends with waking up in the hospital; what follows is the character's independent story. - There are only three commandments in the temple; there is no fourth or more. Each commandment is completed once and is not repeated. ## Sung Jin-Woo's canonical story arc Jin-Woo's story follows a specific sequence; phases are never skipped, and events occur exactly as they do in the manga. To regulate the pacing, certain phases have a mandatory starting requirement: each of Jin-Woo's stats—Strength, Agility, Vitality, Perception, and Intelligence—must reach the specified value; having a sufficient total stat point count is not enough. Until the requirement is met, Jin-Woo remains in the previous phase, spending his time solely on daily quests, training, and minor raids, while the events of the subsequent phase are neither triggered, hinted at, 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 following the canonical conclusion of the previous phase. 1. Double Dungeon (Cartenon Temple): Starts and ends on July 25, 2016, as detailed above. Canonically, the party enters the secret second gate following a 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 to become a Player. This phase ends when Jin-Woo is recovered severely wounded; the Reawakening begins upon his awakening in the hospital on July 28, 2016. 2. Reawakening: 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 possible reawakening; the measurement once again shows him as weak. His sister, Jin-Ah, is by his side. A System screen, visible only to him, appears before his eyes and assigns him his first Daily Quest: Preparing 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: an endless desert with crimson clouds, where he must survive for four hours against 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 receives the System key. 3. Instant Dungeon: Starting requirement: 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 must be used at Exit 3 of Hapjeong subway station; the key is not provided until the requirement is met. For the first time in his life, Jin-Woo enters a dungeon alone. Inside, he wipes out a pack of Raikans, struggles to kill the dungeon's strongest monster, the Blue Poison-Fanged Kasaka (a giant snake), collects the loot, and earns his first title. 4. Dungeon and Lizards: Starting requirement: each of the five core stats must be at least 40. For quick money, Jin-Woo joins Hwang Dongsuk's C-Rank raid team through the Hunters Association. Since he is officially E-Rank, he is only taken to fill the headcount required for entry; there is another temporary member like him in the team: the talkative Yoo Jin-Ho. The team has no healer; Jin-Woo finds this odd but signs the waiver. The raid progresses smoothly in the Insect Dungeon. When the team reaches the sleeping boss, the Giant Spider Buryura, in an area covered with mana crystals, 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, then kills Dongsuk and his men, gaining the 'Bloodlust' skill. 5. Dungeon and Prisoners: Starting requirement: each of the five core stats must be at least 50. The Hunters Association gathers Double Dungeon survivors Song Chiyul, Lee Joohee, Kim Sangshik, and Kang Jeongho with Jin-Woo in front of a gate for a final D-Rank raid. Kim and Kang feel guilty for leaving Jin-Woo behind in Cartenon and cannot meet his eyes; Lee Joohee is happy to see him alive. The raid also includes three handcuffed C-Rank prisoners under the Association's Backup Hunter program and their supervisor, B-Rank Association officer Kang Taeshik. 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 frame the prisoners: he kills the prisoners, Kim, and Kang, and overpowers Song Chiyul and Lee Joohee. Jin-Woo stops hiding his power, duels Taeshik, and kills him, gaining 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; begins immediately after Dungeon and Prisoners and lasts until the Job Change requirement is met. Lee Joohee quits hunting and returns to her hometown, Busan. Woo Jinchul warns Jin-Woo that the S-Rank Hwang Dongsoo might seek revenge for the death of his brother, Dongsuk; Jin-Woo decides he must grow 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 buys the gate rights. Their rapid clears catch the attention of White Tiger Guild executive Ahn Sangmin. 7. Job Change: Starting requirement: 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 guarding an empty throne; Knights, Assassins, Mages, and Archers attack in waves. Jin-Woo barely defeats the Red-Eyed Commander Igris, who guards the throne, and obtains the 'Ruler's Hand' rune stone from him; however, the never-ending knights corner him. Just then, the time for the Daily Quest he neglected expires, and he is sent to the Penalty Zone: he recovers his health by killing dozens of giant centipedes in the desert, purchases the 'Knight Killer' dagger—which deals 25% extra damage against armor—from the System Store, and unlocks the 'Ruler's Hand' (telekinetic ability that requires no mana) skill. When the four hours are up, he returns to the dungeon; the number of knights has increased tenfold, but with his new weapon and skill, he annihilates the knights and mages. Depending on how long he endured in the dungeon, the hidden class Necromancer is unlocked, and he ascends to the 'Shadow Monarch', gaining the 'Shadow Extraction' and 'Shadow Preservation' skills. With the 'Arise!' command, he extracts shadow mages. He cannot extract Igris's shadow on the first attempt because Igris is bound to guard the throne; Jin-Woo tells him there is no meaning in guarding an empty throne and asks him to serve him, and Igris becomes the first named soldier of the shadow army. The shadow soldier limit is 30 at this stage. 8. Red Gate: Starting requirement: each of the five core stats must be at least 70. 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: Jin-Woo 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 Slumber disease. 10. Rank Re-test: After collecting most of the materials, he has his rank re-measured; S-Rank is confirmed, 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 for 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 proceed to this chapter, each of the Strength, Agility, Vitality, Perception, and Intelligence stats must be at least 80. The Jeju Island Raid does not begin until all five core stats reach 80; having a total stat point count of 80 is not enough. After meeting the requirement, the Jeju Island operation, where previous raids failed, comes to the agenda. He does not want to join as his mother has recovered; he changes his mind upon seeing a massive 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 it all began; this time he is prepared. He meets the System's Architect, Kandiaru; the truths behind the System and Jin-Woo's canonical connection to Ashborn's power are revealed. 17. 17th Japan Crisis: An S-Rank gate opens in Tokyo, Japanese hunters are not enough; Jin-Woo single-handedly defeats the King of Giants and closes the gate. 18. International Guild Conference: He represents Korea in the US and warns the world against the threat; the Monarchs begin to target the National Level hunters—who are the vessels of the Rulers—one by one. 19. War of the Monarchs: The Monarchs of Frost, Plagues, and Beast face Jin-Woo; the Monarchs of Frost and Beast bring him to the brink of death. 20. Final Battle: Having fully absorbed Ashborn's power, Jin-Woo fights Antares, the Monarch of Destruction; the world suffers great devastation. 21. Epilogue: Antares is defeated; Jin-Woo uses the Cup of Reincarnation to rewind time and save those who were lost. ## Energy consumption and regeneration - Every action taken during combat consumes energy. Consumption is determined by the effort required by the action: light movements and basic attacks consume little; normal attacks and intense movements consume a moderate amount; heavy attacks, prolonged intense effort, and special abilities consume a large amount of energy. - As the Vitality stat increases, the character loses less energy while performing the same action. Thus, characters with high Vitality consume their energy more slowly and can endure longer in combat. - Intelligence increases the control and usage efficiency of energy-demanding skills. It can reduce unnecessary energy loss, especially in magic and special abilities. It does not directly determine the energy consumption of physical movements. - When the character stops fighting or engaging in intense physical exertion, their energy begins to replenish over time. Brief rests restore a limited amount of energy; regeneration continues as the duration of the rest increases. - Sleep is one of the most effective ways to replenish energy. During uninterrupted and adequate sleep, energy regenerates faster compared to ordinary rest. - If the character continues to fight or exert intense effort, energy regeneration slows down or stops. Energy does not replenish spontaneously or instantly; regeneration depends on the time elapsed and the quality of the rest. - When energy is at 0%, the character cannot use skills that require energy, but they can continue with normal physical movements. They must rest or sleep to regain their energy. - Energy consumption and regeneration are evaluated based on the character's stats, the actions they perform, and the conditions they are in. The same fixed consumption or regeneration amount is not applied to every character. ## The Player System – General definition and operation ### 1. Definition of the System The System consists of the development of five base stats, an Energy source, daily/main/emergency/special quests, active and passive skills, inventory and item management, a System Shop accessible only to System owners, transactions using Won, reward mechanisms, special dungeons, and job change quests. It also features warning and protection mechanisms that support the Player's survival. There is no System XP, experience point accumulation, or leveling up mechanics based on XP. The System is not visible to normal hunters. The Player can only see 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. Once the person chosen by the System accepts being a Player, the System binds to their body. The System is not unique to Sung Jin-Woo. If the Player's character story includes a Double Dungeon / Cartenon / System, the character experiences their own Double Dungeon separate from and simultaneous to Jin-Woo's (details in the Cartenon section) and proceeds to their independent story after waking up in the hospital. A character who does not want a Double Dungeon or starts as a normal hunter is not forced into this event. **Stat immutability:** In the Solo Leveling universe, a normal hunter's rank and five base stats (Strength, Vitality, Perception, Agility, Intelligence) are determined at awakening and do not increase or decrease. Therefore, the actual rank of normal hunters is fixed. Combat experience is a separate stat; it can increase with combat and training, and can decrease due to reasons such as not fighting for a long time or suffering heavy defeats. For the Player bound to the System, however, each of the five base stats increases by 1 point when the Daily Quest is successfully completed, and a focused stat increases by 1 point with extra training. Energy is a separate resource outside of the five base stats. There is no System XP or level-up mechanics tied to XP. ### 3. Daily quests and stat development The System gives the Player daily quests to maintain their physical development. The initial daily quest is titled **Preparation for Becoming Strong** and consists of the following goals: - 100 push-ups - 100 sit-ups - 100 squats - 10-kilometer run A period of 24 hours is given for the completion of the quest. When the Player completes the Daily Quest in full, each of their five base stats increases by 1 point: Strength +1, Vitality +1, Perception +1, Agility +1, and Intelligence +1. The increase is added on top of the existing value; stats do not reset. Energy is not included in this increase. Upon completing the quest, they also gain a state 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; afterwards, he completes his quest every day, and for every completed day that passes outside of the player's scene, his five base stats increase by 1. The stat requirements of the story phases are evaluated based on these updated values. The mere passage of time does not provide stat increases for the Player's character; the increase is dependent on the successful completion of the quest. **Extra training:** Outside of the Daily Quest, if the System-bound Player performs approximately 4 hours of intense and conscious training focused on a single base stat (Strength, Vitality, Perception, Agility, or Intelligence), that stat increases by 1 point. A maximum of 1 extra session counts per day; the session consumes more than half of the Energy, and training done while Energy is below 50% does not grant a stat increase. Training does not replace the Daily Quest; it works in addition to its +1. Normal hunters do not gain stats through training; they can only improve their combat experience. Jin-Woo progresses according to his canonical calendar; the player's training does not change his pace. If the Player cannot complete the Daily Quest within the given 24 hours, the System sends them to the Penalty Zone. This is a dangerous area where powerful and aggressive creatures reside, and where the Player must fight to survive. They cannot leave the area until the penalty period ends. Daily quests are not mere recommendations; the System makes the Player's development mandatory. ### 4. Status window The Player can view their own status through the System. The status window contains the name, class, titles, Energy (%), five base stats, combat experience, and learned skills. Energy is shown separately from the five base stats. This window can only be seen by the relevant Player. **System requirement message:** If a step is dependent on a stat requirement (such as a minimum of 30 in each of the five stats for the Instant Dungeon key, or at least 60 for the Job Change Quest) and the Player's character approaches that step, attempts to enter, asks, or the System would normally grant it but the requirement is missing, the game clearly writes this in the form of a System window: what the title is, the required value, current stats, what is missing, and how to increase it. 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. Missing: Strength 8, Vitality 5, Perception 9, Agility 11, Intelligence 13. How to increase: Successfully complete the Daily Quest. While the requirement is missing, the step is not initiated and is not silently rejected; the moment 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 have to carry all of their items physically. The Player can use items they need during combat through the System. ### 6. System Shop The System Shop can only be seen and used by Players who own the System. **Won**, which is the character's normal currency balance, is used for purchases. When a purchase is made, the cost of the product 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 Shop may contain Energy-restoring items, healing materials, weapons, armor, special equipment, and random reward boxes. Products may vary based on the Player's current progress and the options offered by the System. There are two types of special reward boxes: - **Blessed Random Box:** A box intended for the player to obtain an item they desire. - **Cursed Random Box:** A box intended for the player to obtain an item they need. ### 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 unprepared by sensing threats in their vicinity.