Ha Jinhyuk stood in the center of his apartment, rolling his shoulders and letting out a sharp breath. The familiar system window hovered in front of him, glowing softly in the dim light.
"Let's see this thing in action," he muttered.
He opened his inventory and tapped the Voidsteel Reinforcement Set. Instantly, tendrils of black and crimson energy wrapped around his body, weaving into form like a second skin.
A set of armor forged from voidsteel, an ultra-rare ore mined from the corpse of a fallen star god. Smooth, jet-black plating covers the torso, arms, and legs — accented by dark crimson runes that pulse with faint, otherworldly energy.
The chestplate is sleek and fitted, with sculpted grooves around the abdomen and shoulders. The gauntlets are angular and clawed at the tips, almost draconic in design. His boots gleam with subtle lines of energy that shift and ripple with movement, allowing for perfect footing even on unstable terrain.
A segmented black mantle drapes from his shoulders like an armored cape, weightless but regal. The helm, if equipped, would form a sleek black mask that reveals only glowing red slits for eyes — a visage that whispers of death and judgment.
Though it was armor, it moved like cloth — light, responsive, and perfectly molded to his new physique.
Then came the system update.
[Status Updated]
HP: 4100 / 4100
MP: 2750
Strength: 55 (+30)
Agility: 30 (+20)
Sense: 28 (+5)
Vitality: 30 (+150)
Intelligence: 28 (+100)
Points: 0
Jinhyuk blinked at the numbers and exhaled sharply."Holy shit…"
He paced slowly, arms crossed, doing calculations in his head.
"If that Orc did 125 damage per hit... and I've got 4100 HP now... That means I could tank roughly 32 hits."
He chuckled darkly.
"That's just unfair."
He reached into his inventory and summoned his spear — Venomfang. The air rippled as it materialized, humming with stored power.
He held it in both hands and gave it a few quick spins, testing the weight.
"I can feel it," he muttered. "It's stronger. Heavier. More lethal."
Then, curiosity. "System — why didn't the stat bonuses increase after I killed that Orc? Shouldn't this thing be upgrading?"
[This weapon does not improve its stat boosts unless upgraded or evolved. Its internal power increases with kills, but that does not affect the wielder's stats directly.]
"Huh... So it's like stacking passive damage, not raw stats. Got it."
He tapped the spear gently on the floor.
"Still... this thing's a monster."
He looked down at the armor, admiring it again.
"But hey, System — is there like, an invisible mode for the armor? I wanna go out and get something to eat without causing a scene. Still want the protection, though."
[Yes, Host. To enable it, simply think of making the armor invisible.]
He closed his eyes, visualized it — and whoosh — the armor shimmered, then vanished. His reflection showed him standing in regular clothes again, but he still felt the armor's comforting weight and power beneath.
"Nice."
He unequipped everything, took a quick shower, and changed into a black hoodie, fitted jeans, and clean sneakers. Once dressed, he re-equipped the armor and made it invisible again.
"Perfect."
Then he froze mid-step."…Wait. I don't have any money."
He frantically looked around the apartment. Empty drawers, dusty shelves, hollow cabinets.
"No no no — seriously?!"He fell to his knees, arms limp at his side.
"I'm broke. System, what do I do?"
[Please calm down, Host. Inside the desk drawer, you will find a prepaid credit card with ₩500,000 and a smartphone, registered and functional.]
"…Oh. That would've been nice to know earlier."
He scrambled over to the desk, pulled the drawer open — and sure enough, inside was a silver credit card and a high-end black smartphone.
He picked both up, blinking at them."Thank you, System. You beautiful, supportive, virtual goddess."
The city buzzed with life. The glow of neon signs reflected on the slick pavement as cars zipped through the roads, horns occasionally blaring in the distance. The sidewalks were filled with life — people moving, laughing, talking.
Jinhyuk walked the streets, blending in with the crowd. But his trained eyes couldn't help but notice the Hunters.
Men and women stood near gates, dressed in armors of all kinds — some clad in sleek metallic plating with blue glowing lines running through the chest and arms. Others wore beast-leather trench coats with runes stitched along the lining.
He spotted a woman with a compound bow strapped to her back, the limbs etched with ancient glyphs, and arrows fletched with phoenix feathers.
Another wore massive silver gauntlets, each with embedded cores glowing with soft orange mana. Every step the man took seemed to hum with restrained power.
They weren't just Hunters. They were walking arsenals.
Jinhyuk passed a few of them, keeping his head low, until he came across a small noodle stall nestled between a convenience store and a book café. The scent of broth and spice hit him like a wave.
He slid onto a stool and ordered a bowl of spicy ramen.
As the cook prepared his food, Jinhyuk pulled out his phone and started browsing out of curiosity.
Headlines. Newsfeeds. Social media gossip.
Then something caught his eye.
"D-Rank Dungeon Revealed to be Double Dungeon. 14 Hunters Dead, 3 Injured."
"E-Rank Hunter Sung Jin-Woo Last Seen Alive, No Recovery of Body Confirmed."
Jinhyuk's heart thudded in his chest.
'If this is what I think it is… then the Solo Leveling story has just started. That means…'
He stared at the screen.
'Sung Jin-Woo is probably in the hospital. The Architect's system must've already chosen him. He's probably doing his mandatory quests right now...'
Then a thought struck him.
"Hey System — why haven't I gotten any quests?"
[The system has not assigned a quest simply because nothing worthy of one has occurred.]
Jinhyuk frowned. "Define 'worthy.'"
[Situations that include threats leagues above the Host — such as Void Dragons, Gods, Fallen Gods, Angels, Demi-Gods, or other transcendent entities.]
His jaw dropped. "…Gods? You want me to fight gods?"
[Eventually. If the Host wishes to achieve freedom, strength, and true sovereignty — then yes.]
He stared blankly at the flickering ramen stall light.
"…This escalated real fast."
Before he could spiral further, the lady behind the counter handed him a hot bowl of ramen, steam curling into the air.
He took the first bite.
"…Oh my god," he whispered.
The noodles were springy. The broth was spicy and rich, the egg perfectly boiled and marinated. Every bite melted in his mouth like buttered silk.
He devoured the bowl in minutes, drank the broth, and paid using the card.
He stepped out into the chilly night with a smile.
'Okay. Jin-Woo's started his journey. And I've got a long road ahead of me too. Can't fall behind.'
Jinhyuk returned home, his steps steady, focused.
He disabled the invisibility on his armor and admired the dark suit once more. Then re-enabled it.
He summoned his spear, the metal humming in his palm.
"Alright…" he said, turning to the gate slowly forming in his room. "Time to level up. Then, the rank evaluation test."
His crimson eyes gleamed in the darkness.
The hunt wasn't over — it had only just begun.
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Alright we're about to get into the slaughter. Guys if you have an manhwa recommendations then please comment down below.