Solo Leveling

Description

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10 years ago, after “the Gate” that connected the real world with the monster world opened, some of the ordinary, everyday people received the power to hunt monsters within the Gate. They are known as “Hunters”.

However, not all Hunters are powerful. My name is Sung Jin-Woo, an E-rank Hunter. I’m someone who has to risk his life in the lowliest of catacombs, the “World’s Weakest”.

Having no skills whatsoever to display, I barely earned the required money by fighting in low-leveled catacombs… at least until I found a hidden catacomb with the hardest difficulty within the D-rank catacombs!

In the end, as I was accepting death, I suddenly received a strange power, a quest log that only I could see, a secret to leveling up that only I know about! If I trained in accordance with my quests and hunted monsters, my level would rise.

Changing from the weakest Hunter to the strongest S-rank Hunter!

Associated Names
One entry per line
I Level Up Alone
Only I Level Up
Ore Dake Level Up na Ken
俺だけレベルアップな件
我独自升级
我獨自升級
나 혼자만 레벨업
Related Series
Solo Leveling: Ragnarok (Sequel)
Recommendations
Everyone Else is a Returnee (13)
The Second Coming of Gluttony (11)
SSS-Class Sui**de Hunter (9)
Boundless Necromancer (9)
Seoul Station’s Necromancer (8)
Second Life Ranker (6)
Recommendation Lists
  1. TOP of the toppers, BEST of the bestest
  2. My favorite novels
  3. Damn good novels
  4. Hunter/Player/Awakener-Gate/Tower/Dungeon/etc.
  5. My next 5 out of 5 !!!

Latest Release

Date Group Release
02/17/19 Webnovel c17
02/17/19 Webnovel c16
02/17/19 Webnovel c15
02/17/19 Webnovel c14
02/17/19 Webnovel c13
02/17/19 Webnovel c12
02/17/19 Webnovel c11
02/17/19 Webnovel c10
02/17/19 Webnovel c9
02/17/19 Webnovel c8
02/17/19 Webnovel c7
02/17/19 Webnovel c6
02/17/19 Webnovel c5
02/17/19 Webnovel c4
02/17/19 Webnovel c3
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252 Reviews sorted by


iamasuckerforthis
iamasuckerforthis rated it
May 14, 2020
Status: Completed
This is one of the best stories. Finished reading the novel after I already caught up in the manhua version. It was very uneasy waiting for another chapter so I tried to look for the novel version and daaang, even if I was just reading it. I can still picture out MC face and other characters and how OP he is and clever at some point. I just low the Shadow Soldiers ? Thats all :)
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simianpower
simianpower rated it
May 4, 2020
Status: Completed
This is the first K-LN I read. And it's not bad. Others have mentioned how the author and thus the MC are hyper-nationalistic, which I also noticed. I'd even go as far as to call him racist. But while that was prevalent throughout, it wasn't really a focus of the story.

The character-building was kinda meh. But the actual story was interesting. The leveling was interesting. It's absolutely not the best book I've ever read, but unlike many Korean or Chinese stories it had a clear beginning, middle, and end, and... more>> I give it major props for that. The writer planned out what he was going to do before just rambling endlessly.

The biggest down side is that the latter third of the story is essentially stroking the ego of the main character and/or author. "Of course, as expected of [MC]. He never fails!" The leveling up aspect goes away to some extent, and some of the worldbuilding that emerges is pretty cool, but there isn't much story left by that point. The MC can curb-stomp gods, let alone guilds, all by himself, so there's nothing interesting left to tell. Sure, they scale the bad guys from "fifty of them can wipe out a school" to "one of them can wipe out a continent", but the MC is already way beyond them at any given point.

There were definitely some moments where I thought, "Well, isn't THAT just too convenient", which is why I took a point off the top, but in general I thought this was definitely worthwhile reading. <<less
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OdinF
OdinF
January 19, 2020
Status: Completed
This novel has awaken emotions in me that I didn't know I was able to feel. I spent days only thinking about and reading this novel. The pace is straight forward, exactly my taste, no time is wasted to make the story longer for no reason. Coming from the webtoon, after coming from manga/anime, I really enjoyed the fact that this novel is so much more mature and that the occasional humor in it is not as ridiculous as seen in many manga and anime, but rather really on point... more>> and within the moment.
In general, compared to the webtoon, there are slight changes so far, to make the webtoon look better, I think. But in general, it is very close to the novel.
I like the way the protagonist is presented, he is not the "I want!" type I am so used to see in this genre. He takes life as he has to, always keeping up his spirit, while having to constantly grow in order to survive. He sees the dark sides of people that he apparently didn't want to see at first. However, no matter what he has to go through, he always keeps in mind what is most important to him and keeps his core. His decisions feel relateable for a straight forward, somewhat curious, calm and caring character.
The world is drawn very believeable. If something like this would ever happen to us in real life, I am sure it could end up just like this. The intentions are presented very well.
I felt hints of grudge against other countries at some points, and I am not sure how serious this is to take, but again, it makes it only more believeable.
I also like how the author did not keep all the side characters running just for the sake of keeping them when they had no meaning to the story anymore. Many stories fall into the "side character downfall" when authors cling to them. Just as in real life, people come and go.
The ending in the main story is a disaster. At first, I was very disappointed since there were so many parts left out. But I read on and found that the side stories do contain what should have been in the ending. So make sure to consider them part of the main story. <<less
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blank1134
blank1134 rated it
December 15, 2019
Status: Completed
The novel is great! What I liked about the novel is that its not too lengthy too much like Chinese novels and not to echie or always leaning towards polygamy like Japanese novels. A cut in the middle I should say. I really don't like reading side stories so I'll be focusing on the main story to review. I usually read novels with an open mind, almost not comparing it to other novels because your just ruining the fun out of it yourself.

Author did a great job not sticking to... more>> a straight arrow and always does a unique job surprising me every time in telling the story. Great MC and great supporting characters. I did like the unique game style idea of the author and the backstory before it all began. Author did not utilize the other supporting character so much that they became mediocre but that's the author's direction not mine though it might've been nice that they should've been given a little more screen time.

All in all I really like this novel. Not too long not too short. Author could've extended the story more in my opinion but in the end it was a satisfying ending. Highly recommended read, if I say so myself. <<less
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ZhypherMU
ZhypherMU
December 8, 2019
Status: c94
Sorry but I have to be real here, on my perspective this is like being in heaven down to hell.

How I say It's like heaven;

Well the start is how the MC shows his courage and wits in the start being a low rung adventurer (more like a baggage boy) encountering deadly situations but still persist because of his on plague of his duties being fillal for his mama. Then suddenly he gets placed in a death trap and can still keep his cool and being observant, showing his chivalry and... more>> wits but gets f*cked up on being left behind

BUT SUDDENLY

*Plot armor descends*

When he escapes from that sh*t (plot armor) and wakes up from the hospital with his f*cking foot regenerated and a 'game interface' suddenly pops up making him do quest and all his 'IQ' that made me sigh in amazement seems to vanish in thin air. Like TF? You got your foot back and your still alive but you can't seem to handle the interface and makes you think it's an illusion/hallucination or somesort. Which made me sad on how fast his IQ changes from high to low.

There is also a lot of inconsistency like;

  1. How MC having a 'Young Master' vibe when facing those what he calls 'Lizard' and then he just kills them like squishing a bug. And the hell did he learn on how to wield a dagger? (It's like; mehh, wielding dagger MC is cool so let's make him use it) and how the heck did the emotional progression happened that fast when I can still remember him posting a 'lvl up interface' in some web and he never bothered to tear it down cause HE WANTS TO KNOW THE f*ckING ANSWER TO WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM. HAHAHAHA Damn. It's like you being soft but suddenly being injected with a Viagra. No kidding.
  2. Boom. His father just magically becomes one of the strongest man and he comes out of the dungeon? What a coincidence.
  3. Printed 'baggage carrier' team mate that he just run into.
  4. Where the hell did those guys who the MC saved when he was in the hospital? It's like 'let us part ways cause we escape and never see each other again' and even the MC never bothered to see them? I mean I get it with his new power and all but, like the hell? Where's the human ethic.
  5. Boom suddenly learns he can understand the native of the dungeon and learns some sort of theory on how it is some gate to conquer earth Earth and MC is considered a 'monster'

Well I considering this is a worthwhile novel because of those tons of 5* rating is a bit overrated. I guess everybody have different taste. <<less
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jiang ying yue
jiang ying yue rated it
December 8, 2019
Status: Completed
edit: hellooo, i've finally read the whole novel, and I have to say, phew!

the story was still great, but everything felt a bit bland after jin woo cleared the jeju raid and

... more>>
Spoiler

merged with the shadow sovereign

[collapse]
he became too overpowered, which made this turn things a bit off for me. Especially when the system

Spoiler

got deleted, it didn't feel like 'solo leveling' anymore.

[collapse]

i couldn't feel the thrill of him leveling up anymore, and the feeling of him needing to become stronger. Ahahahaha, but noooooooo the author decides to make him f*cking saitama-san with super cool skills (don't get me wrong, I love OPM) he makes S-rankers and nation-level hunters look weak. I have so many to say but i'll keep it until here. Still though, Jin woo is still such a hot badass, I'm loving it. I would change the stars to 4 or 3 tbh. <<less
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apa
apa rated it
October 14, 2019
Status: Completed
I found this novel on my library untouched, I picked it up and all I knew was the novels name. Solo Leveling (I alone level up).. I excepted nothing from the novel I was reading it out of boredom, but to my surprise the novel I had picked up was actually good. The start the arcs at the beginning were really good and enjoyable.. The more I read the more I liked it., until....

Towards the end the last arcs those were bad. They were boring and really dumb.. So... more>> much so I started doubting should I read it to the end.. Well overall its a OK novel <<less
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teoradom
teoradom rated it
August 19, 2019
Status: Completed
I started with the Manhwa and continued with the novel. And I recommend you read it that way since it will give you a clear visuals on scenarios and characters. As you can guess from the word 'solo', you can guess it's another Jesus-kun novel. And I love it.

The drama is just right. It does have repetition, but its filler stuff that happen in between arcs so I understand. The novel glosses through those stuff pretty quick so it's not tiring. Arcs are all interesting and reasonable. Some... more>> parts of the story is a bit lacking (Big Spoiler) >
Spoiler

Like the backstory about the rulers and monarchs. Especially the reason they killed their God. MC's father left as swift as he came. Most sovereigns are killed offscreen, not that I wanted to read about another fight.

[collapse]
but I wouldn't say there are obvious loose ends left untied.

My favorite parts are
Spoiler

The focus on Gunhee, Beru practically being the 2nd protag after his rising. MC coupling with Cha Hae In.

[collapse]
I also quite like the online comments, it's brief and gives you an idea of the netz's opinions.

Overall, I still had a great experience watching the protag grow. You should be able to find the pdf of full translation on reddit. <<less
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ToasTyrant
ToasTyrant
July 21, 2019
Status: c113
To be honest I really enjoyed this story until it got to around chapter 100 then it got really weird about Japanese people and basically made it seem Ike Japanese people are the devil, I know there is a lot of anti Japanese sentiment in Korea right now but it has no place in a story like this and quite frankly I just find it hard to read this anymore, used to be a fun read but I just feel uncomfortable reading it since they put so much effort in... more>> basically turning Japanese people into the enemy, seriously they spend way to much time on it, author ruined their own book good job. <<less
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DaBrick
DaBrick rated it
June 19, 2019
Status: Completed
Finished reading and this novel is 10/10

I love the aspect of the MC which is his character that you'll know more as you read the novel.

Probably one of the best MC I ever read.
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okayokayokay
okayokayokay rated it
June 12, 2019
Status: Completed
First and foremost, I created an account solely to write a review for this. I absolutely loved it. A quick heads-up, this novel ends at Chapter 243, with the remaining side stories being kind of slice of life. They're decent, if you enjoy that, but not really the author's forte. With all that out of the way...

You should know what you're getting into from the title. The protagonist isn't some type of loner edgy boy, but as you could guess he spends much of his time alone, leveling up. As... more>> well as it's written, if you're not a fan of game elements or such a large focus of the story being on the protagonist, you probably won't enjoy this.

A large struggle of novels like this is the concept of power creep. You lose tension, because even though you know the protagonist won't die (as in basically every story on the planet), you aren't even kept waiting to see how they won't die because they are just so powerful that nothing can challenge them. This novel does well to avoid that. The protagonist levels up accordingly to the oncoming threats,
Spoiler

bar say around chapters 130-170 or so, which he has to spend shutting the haters up.

[collapse]
Overall, quite well executed on a rather difficult premise for many authors.

In regards to the underlying mystery, this is also well-executed. Pieces are gathered at a time that allows the reader to make conjectures without spelling it out for them. Furthermore, the big reveal is made clear so that readers are afforded another opportunity to make a final conjecture before seeing the truth. It's not a mystery novel by any means, nor does it pretend to be, but this aspect succeeds nonetheless.

The protagonist also goes through several developments morally and intellectually. I won't slag other reviews, but if they say he doesn't, they should probably reread the earlier chapters to remind themselves of how dumb he is at the start. Even as a cool-headed badass, he stills demonstrates a breadth of emotions even in the waning chapters.

As far as the ending goes, you could try to say there are ass pulls, but I heavily disagree. Everything that could happen is more or less foreshadowed and supported by concrete exposition, never leaving the readers to wonder 'How the f*ck did that happen?' I won't say too much more than that to avoid ruining the story, but the protagonist's decision as well as the puzzle pieces to support the legitimacy of it are put into place well in advance to avoid coming out of left field.

Above all else, it's absolutely entertaining. This novel has exchanged translator hands a few times so I was only able to get up to about 130 or so before having to put it on hold. I anxiously waited until I recently found the 243 available, and I read through it all in about 4 days. I simply couldn't put it down, and what more can you ask from a story than that?

If I had one point in common with other reviewers who didn't give this 5 stars, it's that, for the sake of molding the protagonist, the side characters can sometimes fall by the wayside. To say they never develop is false, and the relationships built (almost all entirely non-romantic as romance is not a point of this novel as a fair warning) between the protagonist and the significant side characters are certainly noteworthy. However, these aren't as plentiful as some readers may like, and some time indeed is spent simply sucking the protagonist off. It doesn't bother me in the slightest, but some may be averse. Again, fair warning.

Ultimately, I'll probably reread this a few times because I enjoyed it so much, and I hope to support the author and any translators who pick up his works in the future. Thank you very much to the wonderful author Chugong and the wonderful translators for letting me read this story.

P.S. The webtoon is awesome <<less
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delpheus
delpheus
April 21, 2019
Status: c232
The premise is interesting. The chapter count though is disappointing. Based on the pacing, it doesn't seem like any of the major plot points will be touched upon. Truly disappointing.
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azha_
azha_ rated it
April 4, 2019
Status: Completed
I'm really loving this novel! It's totally a breath of fresh air from all the slow paced Chinese novels I've been reading lately. The MC is OP (like they're supposed to be) and the plot is interesting. What else can you ask for in a Korean novel?

Oh and some of yall said that MC growth is too fast or that it's too cliche or something. Well folks, please read the tags before reading something here on Novel Updates; it's there for a reason!!!

PS - the manhwa is great!!! The art... more>> is so good *-* <<less
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ItsAlive
ItsAlive rated it
February 17, 2019
Status: c128
Started interesting but failed through poor execution. Pretty much a generic op MC Necromancer novel, the powerlevel rises too quickly, the story is pretty bland, but I guess the fights are ok.
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Renaxan
Renaxan rated it
February 11, 2019
Status: Completed
This novel is gem among generic leveling novel. The pace is enjoyable and the system explained well, unlike other 'system' im some novel.

However I admit there's a lot thing that left unexplained like so wtf is that key dungeon, the ending is rushed and not even explained how he's saving the world.

... more>>
Spoiler

he is literally become forgettable hero and resetting the world, said he's fighting in dimensional gap for 27 years to prevent those magical being invaded earth and nobody know what he does.

The after story ending kinda like explain how he's going with his life after saving earth (and he's still fkin op while no other human having mana anymore). Tbh, the after story I feel kinda unnecessary

[collapse]

I just rate this 5* because despite the flaws I said, the ride is enjoyable. Mostly because pacing, how humane the MC act and how well explained the system work. RIP to chessnut tl tho : ( <<less
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25thShoto
25thShoto rated it
February 4, 2019
Status: c270
What a blast!

This novel was amazing. First good read I've had in awhile. Thankfully, I can read Hangul so I binge read it. I would totally recommend reading the after stories and not skipping them (the series ends at 243 + 27 after story chapters)

If you've come from reading the manhwa, I'd recommend reading from the beginning or at least from chapter 60ish since there's a lot of scenes the manhwa leaves out that provide better context. Please give this novel a go, I did and I don't regret... more>> it for a second. (Also screw Qidian) <<less
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jhonlicanto
jhonlicanto rated it
January 13, 2019
Status: v1c77
I am was one of those guys who waited for this novel to be translated properly. The manhwa caught me hanging, the mtln is brain wrecking, so thank goodness for picking this up.

I must say its good even though the story is still developing, and more interesting things keep popping up. Im pretty sure most of you will love this novel.
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Raison D
Raison D rated it
January 13, 2019
Status: c92
This novel just like SSN, even his job. But, is done better. In SSN he already has power and try to make his stronger. But in this novel, MC start with 0 power, but get a chance to get skill to make him stronger. Even he has power, he still use his head and dont act like arrogant bastard who think the world revolves around him.

The plot is good too. Not rushed or slow either, is like flowing water. Well, if you like early chapter of SSN then you can... more>> give this novel a try, and if you dont like early chapter SSN too, just give this novel a try too. I personally like this novel rather than SSN because MC in this novel not like some god dude who think everyone is weaker than him and just cannon fodder. <<less
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Wisdom-Sama
Wisdom-Sama rated it
October 25, 2023
Status: Completed
Brainless story. Only for those who likes fast paced actions without any substance. The characters are boring and nothing dimensional. The romance does not even make sense. The webtoon is much enjoyable with the art. This story is plain tr*sh. That racism is also shit.

Maybe the anime will be better than this abomination.
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Hosh
Hosh rated it
May 8, 2023
Status: Completed
I came to this LN around a year after I finished the Manhwa and the quality astounds me. Or rather, the lack there of.

There are issues that are prevalent even when reading the Manhwa such as how MC has a growth rate far surpassing literally everyone else and the fact that after the first 50-ish chapters (Igris) the MC basically never has any struggles. Sometimes the results the MC gets also seems disproportionate to how much effort the MC exerts to get there.

But this LN has so many issues that... more>> can be easily overlooked due to the Manhwa's excellent illustrations. The first is how ret*rded MC is, especially when he first got the system. The Nationalism is also a lot less tolerable.

There are 3 guidelines with which you can enjoy this novel to the fullest:

1. Read the manhwa

2. Read The Manhwa

3. READ THE MANHWA <<less
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