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Solo Leveling, Vol. 1 by Chugong
Synopsis:
“The weakest hunter of all mankind!
E-rank hunter Jinwoo Sung has no money, no talent, and no prospects to speak of – and apparently, no luck, either! When he enters a hidden double dungeon one fateful day, he’s abandoned by his party and left to die at the hands of some of the most horrific monsters he’s ever encountered.
But just before the last, fatal blow…ping! [Congratulations on becoming a Player.]” -Audible
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Opening thoughts:
I watched both season one and season two of this anime when they came out and I absolutely loved them. However, what made me want to read the novels was when I started to watch anime YouTube content creators who do breakdowns of different shows explaining all of the background and lore that the anime doesn’t go deep into. When watching the anime, I realized that there was a lot of information they left out based on what I learned from the YouTube videos, so I realized I need to read the light novels to get the full depth of the Solo Leveling story.
Key notes:
Chapter 1: E-Rank Hunter
Sung Jin-Woo, known as the weakest E-Rank hunter, joins a low-level raid. Despite his lack of power, he continues hunting to support his family. The raid ends up being more dangerous than expected.
Chapter 2: First Blood
The raid party discovers a hidden double dungeon. Inside, they face deadly statue guardians. Jin-Woo helps uncover the rules to survive, but many hunters are killed when the group missteps.
Chapter 3: The Final Test
Jin-Woo sacrifices himself to save the others. As he dies, he’s offered a chance by the mysterious “System” to become a Player. He accepts, initiating his second life as a unique hunter.
Chapter 4: Daily Quest
Awakening in the hospital, Jin-Woo now sees a game-like interface only visible to him. He receives daily quests that seem trivial, but failure results in brutal punishment, forcing him to comply.
Chapter 5: Boss Round
He enters an Instant Dungeon and faces real combat against monsters. Despite being weak at first, he learns, survives, and levels up. He defeats the dungeon’s boss through persistence and clever strategy.
Chapter 6: The Lizards
Jin-Woo joins a new raid, concealing his growing strength. The team faces dangerous lizardmen, and Jin-Woo secretly demonstrates his improved abilities to save fellow hunters without revealing his secret.
Chapter 7: A Proposal
High-ranking hunter Yoo Jin-Ho notices Jin-Woo’s strength and offers him a deal: join private raids to help clear dungeons and split rewards. Jin-Woo agrees, seeing it as a safe way to earn and grow stronger.
Chapter 8: The Demon’s Castle
Jin-Woo receives a key to a high-difficulty dungeon called Demon’s Castle. He enters alone, facing powerful demon enemies. He levels up rapidly and acquires rare items and skills, including regeneration.
Chapter 9: B-Rank Taesik Kang
In another raid, Jin-Woo encounters Taesik Kang, a B-Rank healer. Kang tries to kill a fellow hunter to cover up a murder, but Jin-Woo intervenes and kills Kang—showing his willingness to do what it takes.
Chapter 10: The STrange Raids
Jin-Woo continues fake raids with Yoo Jin-Ho. Rumors about his strength begin to spread. Meanwhile, strange occurrences in dungeons hint at deeper secrets in the hunter world and Jin-Woo’s evolution.
Closing thoughts:
Loved this book. It basically recounts everything from the anime but with slighly more details here and there, but not too much. It’s also interesting how Jinwoo is more methodical and stoic in the books, but he’s slightly more emotional in the anime.
Overall, I’m excited to get through the rest of the series. I just wish that each volume where longer and not broken up into 8 volumes.
Nutshell:
Jinwoo, the weakest hunter in South Korea, reawakens as the Player. He is the only person in the world who can level up his abilities.
Similar books:
- Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
- Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
- Off to Be the Wizard by Scott Meyer
- Armada by Ernest Cline
- Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A Heinlein
- The Sandman by Neil Gaiman
Rating:
4/5
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