Solo Leveling Episode 12

 

Jinwoo finds himself thrown across the throne room and hitting a pillar hard. Surrounded by endless knights and without his Teleportation Stone, he is desperate and pushed to his physical limits. With no mana left for his skills and his fatigue peaking, Jinwoo fights back with everything he has left, using just his bare hands. Running out of stamina, covered in sweat, and his hands cut and bloodied, he doesn't give up. Knight after knight are felled but they just keep coming. Haunted by memories of being called the "Weakest Hunter of all Mankind", Jinwoo hears the mocking words of his past comrades, Kim Sangshik and Park Beom-Shik, as if they were right there with him. Confused for a moment as he looks for them, a sword slash and a hammer strike knocks him to his knees.

A familiar voice and a hand touches his back. It is Song Chi-Yul, telling him, "You don't need to keep forcing yourself". Lee Joohee also appears before him, telling him it would be better to just give up. Then a chilling voice, "You're getting what you deserve," freezes him in place from behind him. It's his own voice from the past, echoing the doubts and fears of the time when he was the weakest hunter. This haunting vision of his former self confronts him, criticizing his efforts and urging him to accept that he's reached his limit. With a sinister smile, the apparition suggests that it's time for Jinwoo to surrender to his fate and give up, challenging his resolve and tempting him to end his struggle.

In the Chairman's office of the Korean Hunters Association, Go Gunhee and Woo Jinchul reflect on the tragic events of the 3rd Jeju Island raid. On his table are the plans for 4th. Go, with a sense of regret, acknowledges that his physical condition prevented him from participating in the raid, while Woo confirms he was part of the operation, handling perimeter security and communications. "So many lost their lives," Go remarks solemnly. "And those who survived still bear the mental scars." He acknowledges the deep psychological impact all hunters experience, and emphasizes the need for them to confront and overcome these traumas, "or destruction will be all that awaits".

Back in the dungeon, Jinwoo is haunted by his past self, who taunts him, dismissing his physical changes, insisting that deep down, he remains as weak as ever. "E-Rank hunter. That's all you'll ever be," the apparition sneers, labeling him a dreamer out of touch with reality. As Jinwoo is overpowered once more, his defiance flares. "Shut up!" he retorts, but his comeback is cut short as he collides with another knight, forcefully smashing his face into the ground. Through his fading consciousness, Jinwoo hears the mocking echo of his past self, belittling his desperate efforts, "Still not good enough."

As a knight looms over him, ready to deliver the final blow, Jinwoo is struck by the deja vu of his harrowing experience in the Double Dungeon. This moment, teetering on the edge of life and death, mirrors his trials at the Cartenon Temple, and how the System saved his life. And it was about to do it again. As Jinwoo faces what seems to be his final moment, his past self cryptically remarks, "It seems they don't want you to die just yet," before fading away with a promise to return. "Until next time, then." Suddenly, as the Daily Quest he forgot to complete expires and his execution appears imminent, Jinwoo finds himself transported to the Penalty Zone. He appears in a vast desert under a blazing sun, surrounded by red clouds and endless sand. Licking his wounds and pondering his fate, Jinwoo questions whether luck or the System itself intervened to save him.

Choosing not to dwell on it, Jinwoo accesses the Store and is able to purchase Mana potions, restoring his fatigue which has skyrocketed past 90 for the first time. While the potions alleviate his fatigue, he realizes that Health potions cant heal him due to his serious injuries. Contemplating whether to recover naturally or through leveling up, he's abruptly confronted by six enormous Desert Centipedes bursting from the sands. These foes, though formidable, no longer pose the threat they once did at his current level.

Revitalized yet teetering on the brink, Jinwoo confronts the colossal centipedes with renewed resolve. He recalls the ominous farewell of his past self, "Until next time," and sets a firm resolve to grow stronger and face that part of him again. With each dash and strike against the formidable beasts, Jinwoo embraces the pain, allowing it to forge him into a mightier version of himself, determined that "as long as it doesn't kill me, any pain I go through is only going to make me stronger!" In a fierce display of power, Jinwoo vanquishes a few of the giant centipedes, their bodies soaring through the air as he prepares to finish the rest with a bloodcurdling battle cry.

Back in the tranquility of Jinwoo's apartment, his sister Jinah is momentarily stirred from her slumber by a vague, unsettling dream. After using the bathroom, she notices the dinner she prepared for Jinwoo, still untouched on the table, and wonders where he is at this late hour. This leads her to ponder whether he is still working late, or, amusingly, if he might have girlfriend, a notion she quickly dismisses with a chuckle. Snuggling back into her bed, Jinah harbors a simple wish: for her brother to return in time for the upcoming guardian-teacher meeting at her school that day.

Back in the penalty zone, Jinwoo defeats dozens of centipedes, leveling up and restoring himself to full health. He has a moment to look for a new weapon to purchase and finds a dagger, Knight Killer, that has a damage bonus to armor. Jinwoo also redeems his ability reward from fighting Igris the Bloodred, Ruler’s Hand, which is similar to telekinesis. He’s ready to return to the fray.

With the penalty quest over and Jinwoo all healed up, the Hunter is teleported back to the throne room where the Knights have increased tenfold. He begins his onslaught against them and realizes he never levels up when fighting them. This leads him to the conclusion that these Knights were merely summoned monsters, and the Mages were the true monsters that he had to finish off. He quickly finds a Mage and uses a new skill, Dagger Toss to kill a Mage, causing the Knights that were summoned by it to crumble. Jinwoo makes quick work of the three mages, and the remaining three summon a massive golem. He finishes off the magic users and destroys the golem.

Jinwoo catches his breath as a system notification appears, informing him that he lasted four and a half hours. The job change quest is complete. The system determines that based on his performance and solo fighting style, the most suitable job for Jinwoo is “necromancer,” which has the ability to call forth a shadow army. Aghast at the idea of becoming a magic user when he’s been fighting as an assassin-type, Jinwoo’s first instinct is to refuse the job change. However, the system warns him that necromancer is a hidden class and asks him to confirm his refusal. Jinwoo paces the throne room, considering. He realizes the magic users he just defeated were using a similar type of ability. He wouldn’t be solo leveling any longer, which is a big advantage. Jinwoo accepts the job change to necromancer… but the system isn’t finished yet.

Notifications pop up one after the other in front of Jinwoo. Because he lasted so long through the final stage and defeated all enemies, the necromancer class has been upgraded to Shadow Monarch. To extract a shadow and claim it for his army, Jinwoo must speak the command word he chose: "Arise." He calls forth 30 shadow soldiers, the maximum number allowed for the skill at current level. Shadow extraction can fail, however, depending on the target’s strength and the time it was defeated. Jinwoo realizes there’s another enemy nearby he can try to add to his army’s ranks: Igris the Bloodred.

Jinwoo commands the Knight Commander to rise and fails twice. Only one attempt remains. Jinwoo makes an impassioned speech for Igris to join him and fight for someone instead of guarding an empty throne. The Knight Commander rises. As Chairman Go watches the sun rise, he tells Woo that he dreams of a new hunter awakening, someone who defies all expectations and becomes a guiding light for humanity’s fight. Jinwoo names Igris the Bloodred to simply Igris. Igris joins the ranks of the shadow army, and they kneel before Jinwoo.

The helicopter has landed on Jeju Island. Choi gasps as he looks at the magic beast that he and his hunters defeated. The gigantic ants they faced three years ago have evolved and now bear wings.