Solo Leveling

Solo Leveling takes place in a world where mysterious portals called gates have opened across the globe, connecting Earth to dungeons filled with monsters. A select group of humans, known as Hunters, have awakened supernatural abilities to fight these threats. The story centers on Sung Jinwoo, an E-rank Hunter, the lowest possible rank, who is mockingly called the Weakest Hunter of All Mankind. He scrapes by on low-risk missions to support his family, his father having disappeared years ago and his mother suffering from a strange illness.

Everything changes during a catastrophic double dungeon raid. Betrayed and left for dead, Jinwoo faces his final moments when a mysterious system appears before him, granting him a unique ability: the power to level up like a video game character, something no other Hunter can do. This transforms him from the world's weakest Hunter into an unstoppable force as he undertakes increasingly dangerous dungeons, unlocks special classes, and builds an army of shadow soldiers from the monsters he defeats. His journey from a burden to the singularly powerful Shadow Monarch unravels a cosmic conspiracy involving rulers and monarchs that threatens all existence.

The web novel was serialized on KakaoPage from July 25, 2016, to March 13, 2018, and published in print by D&C Media under their Papyrus label in 14 volumes. The webtoon adaptation, illustrated by Jang Sung-rak (Dubu) of Redice Studio, began in March 2018 and concluded in December 2021, with 15 collected volumes. Dubu's artwork was widely credited for the series' explosive popularity; he passed away from cancer on May 23, 2022. The English license is held by Yen Press, with the first volume released in December 2018.[edit]