ladyjlb's manga / #Shounen(73)

Read ch 2 as of 26/6/20

Read ch 1 as of 6/6/20

Read ch 2 as of 6/6/20

Rate 4.5 min - Read ch 46 as of 07/09/20 (total 80 chapters)

Ch 200 as of 15/07/24 ** Side stories manhwa from Ch 180 ** - ML goes through school etc - ends with ML’s son Ch 179 as of 17/05/22 - also on Tapas ** End of Season 1 - Ch 110 ** Webtoon done. Webnovel side stories / epilogue also done. ( https://page.kakao.com/home?seriesId=48787313 ) ( https://www.readlightnovel.me/solo-leveling-050522/chapter-243 ) Side stories: - ML became the greatest hero after bringing the war between 2 worlds to an end. ML retains all of his memories, skills and the shadow army that numbers in the millions now. He has godlike abilities including eternal youth and immortality. He adjusts his appearance over time to blend in. - ML reappeared after he was missing for 2yrs. He was expelled from middle school for inadequate attendance. - He studied hard and entered high school with an athletics and track dept. He joined the athletics club. - ML meets Cha Hae-In and Kim Chul (Iron the shadow soldier) at the regional / national? high school athletics competition. - Woo Jinchul is a police detective. Criminals are turning themselves in to police after seeing Shadow Monsters. - Woo Jinchul recalls his past life memories after meeting ML again. He thanks ML for what he did. - ML stops an invasion by a race of rock-eating Titans over a desert in the US. He extracts the Titans’ shadows to join the shadow army. - Footage was taken of ML’s battle by the US Army who were made to retreat by ML. David Brannen is now the CIA Director and visited Norma Selner, a famous retired psychic, for any info on ML. Norma most likely has her past life memories. She won’t divulge ML’s details but assures David that ML is safe and can be trusted. - ML goes to the same college Jinho will attend. - Cha Hae-In became ML’s girlfriend before he started college. - First Kiss: Xmas after ML accepted a scholarship at the college of his choice. - Later ML became a police detective with the nickname “Phantom”. He is a legend in the police force with a 200% clearance rate of solving cases. Woo Jinchul became the youngest ever Station Commander with help from ML in solving his cases. - ML finally accepts the position of Superintendent after years of refusing a promotion so he could continue doing fieldwork. - Jinho is dating Jin-Ah who is studying medicine. - They get married and later she becomes pregnant. - Jinho started his own game development company. - ML is married to Cha Hae-In and they have a baby boy. - At 6mths old, their son starts to fly on his own. - Their 5yo son attends kindergarten to socialise with other children but they fear him instinctively. The boy’s powers and his daily interactions with the shadow army means he can’t have a normal life. ML seals away his son’s powers and memories for now. - ML and the commanders of his shadow army have been testing ML’s son over the years. He’s now in his first year of high school. ML deems it’s still too early to unseal his son’s powers. - ML continues to secretly protect the world from outside forces that seek his power. He hopes his son will join him one day. ____________________________ - Gate: connects this world to another dimension. - Dungeon: where monsters reside. - Dungeons are places for survival of the fittest. This applies to monsters and hunters alike. Anything can happen inside a dungeon. - After a gate opens, hunters have 7 days to kill the boss monster and close the gate. This must be done to prevent the risk of monsters breaking out into the real world after 7 days. - Hunters: those who are awakened with the power to hunt monsters. A hunter’s stats are usually set after their awakening. - Hunters have abnormal strength and regeneration. - The difference in rank makes a difference in income. - When hunting monsters, the higher the risk, the higher the reward. - ML is Sung Jinwoo, an E-rank hunter for 4yrs. - He works as a hunter to pay for his sick mother’s medical bills. - After he woke up with a new power, he’s going to change from the weakest hunter to the strongest S-rank hunter. - He is the only hunter who can gain experience, level up and get stronger over time, like a player in a game. (ie solo leveling) - He’s the sole existence that receives the system’s benefits. - Song Chiyul, a C-rank hunter and raid party leader. - Kim Sang Shik - Lee Juhee, a B-rank healer and ML’s friend - The Double Dungeon in a D-rank gate: - The raid party with 17 hunters cleared the D-rank monsters when they find another tunnel that leads to what looks like the boss room. - They open the huge doors and enter a massive circular chamber. Along the walls are giant stone statues. A colossal statue that reaches the ceiling is seated opposite the entry. After they read 3 Carthenon commandments on a stone tablet, the doors close. - A D-rank hunter tries to leave and is killed by the statues near the doors. ML’s survival instinct makes him call out for everyone to duck as the colossal statue shoots deadly beams from it's eyes. - ML realises the 3 commandments are a hint on the rules / trials for this chamber. He manages to decipher them for those remaining as the statues come to life. - After the 3rd commandment, the doors open. It becomes apparent as hunters leave, one person must stay behind. - ML tells Song Chiyul, who lost an arm, to leave with Lee Juhee. - ML is the last person left as his leg was torn off. He’s impaled by one of the statues on the central raised altar. - Secret quest: “Courage of the Weak” - ML suddenly sees a status window that says he’s completed all of the requirements for this quest. He agrees to become a “player.” - The quest reward is a special spell that ensures ML is always strong and healthy. - KHA = Korean Hunters Association - ML wakes up in hospital after being unconscious for 3 days. - His body is intact and he has both legs. - KHA inspectors come to see him. They say he was found unconscious on an altar but the chamber and statues had disappeared. He was the only survivor left inside. Only 6 hunters survived the Double Dungeon massacre, including ML. - Double awakening: when hunters experience a 2nd awakening. - The inspectors test ML to see if he received a reawakening / double awakening, but his magic power level is still low. - Sung Jin-Ah, ML’s younger sister and a high school student. - Only ML can see the status windows. - He can see his stats, skills, inventory and the store. - He receives quests from the system. - There’s a penalty if he doesn’t complete the quests. - Daily quest: Prepare to grow stronger - ML must complete a set number of exercises every day. - ML receives rewards after he completes the quest for the day. - The rewards are recovery, stats and random box. - Penalty quest: Survive until the time runs out (4hrs). - ML is teleported to a desert and chased by giant centipede monsters. When he completes the quest, he’s teleported back. - ML obtains an instant dungeon key (E-rank) from the random option. The key opens a dungeon at the 3rd entrance to Hapjung station. ML can’t leave the dungeon until he’s killed the boss. - In his inventory is a sword that was left behind in the Double Dungeon. He uses the sword to fight numerous Steel Fang wolf monsters. He levels up and earns the title “Wolf Slayer”. His damage increases for all beast type monsters. - Muscularity skill - Sprint skill - ML continues to level up as he fights various beast monsters. - In an instant dungeon, the monsters keep respawning. - ML is now L15 and his sword is wearing down. He goes to the boss room and faces a giant serpent. His sword breaks right away. - ML uses his broken sword and brute strength to kill the serpent. - Rasaka’s Venom (A-rank): a potion that gives you hardened skin (Rasaka’s Steel Scales) but weakens your strength. - Rasaka’s Fang (C-rank): a dagger with Paralyse and Bleed effects. - With the boss monster killed, the dungeon disappears. - ML is now L18. He emerges from the subway to find the area has been attacked by monsters. A soldier sees ML and confirms he’s a hunter. ML is taken to the giant rock golem boss monster (D-rank). - A group of E and D-rank hunters are struggling to defeat the golem. ML sees Lee Juhee among them. - ML throws his broken sword with enough force to pierce the golem’s head, causing it to collapse. He leaves soon after. - ML experiences physical changes as his strength stats increases. He’s become taller, more toned and muscular. - ML joins a raid party to make up the numbers for a C-rank gate. - The party consists of C and D-rank hunters. - There’s a rule for entering C-rank gates: the party must have at least 10 hunters, with at least half of those at C-rank. - This is ML’s 1st C-rank gate. - Hwang Dongsuk, a C-rank hunter and raid party leader. - Jo Gyu Hwan, a C-rank mage. - Yoo Jinho 22yo, a wealthy D-rank hunter. It’s his 1st raid. - Yoo Myeong Han, Jinho’s father and Chairman of the Yoo Jin Architecture company. Jinho is his 2nd son. His 1st son is 32yo. - ML is assigned the role of baggage handler. - There’s no healer in this party of tankers and damage dealers. - ML’s increased sense stat helps him detect the insect monsters coming from the tunnel above them and he shouts a warning. - ML has a bad feeling about this party. - He received a status window warning to beware of lizards. - They find the boss room with the massive spider boss monster asleep after devouring other insect monsters. - The boss room has a huge deposit of large mana crystals. - The “lizards” are Dongsuk’s team of 8 hunters who leave their “lizard tails” ML and Yoo Jinho behind in the boss room. They blow up the entrance to trap ML and Yoo Jinho in there. The explosion wakes up the giant spider. - Crimes occur in dungeons as they’re difficult to police and hard to prove. Murders are covered up as accidents. - ML repeatedly attacks the giant spider. He accepts an unused recovery reward to reset his fatigue. With the effects of his dagger, ML attacks the spider’s head until it's killed. ML levels up to L21. - Dongsuk’s team blast open the entry to the boss room. They’re surprised to find the boss monster dead and ML and Jinho still alive. - Emergency quest: Kill the enemies. - The system generates this quest as Dongsuk’s team try to kill ML. His heart will stop is the penalty if he fails to kill them instead. - ML kills people for the 1st time. He dispatches all 8 of them, ending with the beheading of the leader. - ML and Jinho takes some mana crystals then leave as the dungeon and gate will close now that the boss monster is dead. - Bloodlust / Killing Intent skill - ML is contacted by Jinho and they meet up. Jinho has kept the incident with Dongsuk’s team and ML’s abilities a secret. - Jinho wants to obtain a guild master licence. The condition is the hunter must participate in 20 raids and pass an exam. His father wants to create a guild connected with the company to take advantage of the valuable resources available in dungeons. - Jinho offers ML a new building that will be built for the guild HQ. - ML agrees to help Jinho on the condition only the 2 of them will be on all 19 of the raids left to do. They’ll hire hunters to make up the numbers. - Hidden quest: Demon Castle’s key (S-rank) - After completing the goals twofold for the daily quest, ML received this hidden quest after picking a blessed random box. - ML uses the key to enter the Demon Castle dungeon. - He fights Cerberus, the 3-headed beast that is Hell’s Gatekeeper. After using a recovery reward to heal his severe injuries, ML manages to kill Cerberus and levels up. He decides to return another day when he’s stronger. - Warden’s Necklace (A-rank): increased agility, sense. - Castle door key (A-rank) - Cerberus’ fang - The KHA summons hunters for a low rank dungeon. - ML is reunited with Song Chiyul, Kim Sang Shik, and Lee Juhee. - Gang Taeshik, a B-rank hunter and part of the KHA monitoring division. He’s overseeing 3 C-rank criminal hunters that undergo rehabilitation by helping with dungeon raids. - The group split up to clear the tunnels of goblins. Kim Sang Shik and another hunter came across Taeshik as he killed the 3 criminals. He was paid as an assassin by the father of one of their victims. Taeshik kills Kim Sang Shik and the other hunter. - ML, Chiyul and Juhee come running when they hear screaming and see the dead bodies. Chiyul fights Taeshik first. ML saves Chiyul from Taeshik. ML continues the fight against Taeshik. - Emergency quest: Kill the enemy. - ML has to kill Taeshik or his heart will stop. - Taeshik has high agility, speed and the Camouflage skill. ML uses a recovery reward when he’s injured and stabs Taeshik in the chest. ML clears the quest. He is now L27. - Stealth runestone: break the stone to obtain a skill. - “ He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.” - Nietzsche - The stronger ML gets, the more emotionless he becomes. - ML kills the hobgoblin boss monster after Chiyul and Juhee left first. The dungeon and the gate close. Chiyul covers up for ML by saying he was the one who killed Taeshik when asked by the KHA. - Woo Jinchul, an A-rank hunter and Chief of the KHA monitoring division. ML is warned that Dongsoo will look for him and Jinho to get revenge for his brother. - Hwang Dongsoo, Dongsuk’s younger brother who went to the US. - He’s a S-rank hunter and part of the Scavenger guild. - Juhee retires as a hunter and returns to her hometown of Busan. - ML and Jinho start clearing C-rank dungeons together. They buy up the rights to all of the C-rank gates in the city. - 8 low rank hunters signed contracts for them to be paid for just waiting outside the dungeons. - ML levels up to L39 and obtains some new skills. - Vital Strike skill - Advanced Dagger Arts skill - Stealth skill - Store access via the system - White Tiger guild, one of the best guilds in the country. - An Sangmin, Chief of the 2nd management dept. - Hyun Geechul, Sangmin’s assistant. - Sangmin has figured out ML must have reawakened after surviving 3 serious dungeon incidents recently. - Sangmin approaches ML in an attempt to scout ML for the White Tiger guild. Sangmin can’t match Jinho’s offer (the new building is super expensive) so ML declines. - ML makes a deal to sell 3 x C-rank gate rights to Sangmin for a huge amount as the White Tiger guild need them to train their hunters. ML warns Sangmin to keep it a secret that ML has reawakened. - ML is notified by a status window that he’s reached the required level. He receives a Job Change quest. ML takes a day off from clearing dungeons and accepts this quest. He enters a dungeon that he can’t exit until he clears it. He fights some diverse opponents. - ML can’t heal in this dungeon. - Knight’s Chestplate armour (B-rank), invisible - Knight’s Gauntlet (B-rank), invisible - Archer’s Gloves (C-rank), invisible - Mage’s Ring (B-rank) - Assassin’s Boots (B-rank), invisible - Leather pouches containing 1000s of gold - Now at L45, ML enters the boss room. - Igris the Blood Red Commander is the boss monster. - After a very close battle, ML gets a lucky strike with his dagger into Igris’ eye. ML continues to strike Igris’ head under the helmet until it dies. - Red Knight’s Helmet (S-rank): increased strength and vitality. - Dominator’s Touch runestone - Leather pouch with 1.5 million gold - Hearthstone: break it to instantly exit the dungeon. - The final trial for the Job Change quest begins. - The longer ML lasts against his opponents, the more points he’ll collect and be placed with a higher tier job. - ML is exhausted, injured and low on mana. Before he is killed, the Penalty quest starts as he didn’t complete the daily quest. - ML is teleported to the Penalty zone just in time. - ML buys recovery potions to get rid of his fatigue. - He kills the giant centipedes within the 4hrs and he heals as he levels up. He buys an expensive new dagger before the Penalty quest ends. ML also breaks the runestone. - Knight Slayer dagger (B-rank): deals more damage against opponents that wear heavy armour. - Dominator’s Touch skill (telekinesis): control objects without touching them. - Dagger Throw skill - ML is teleported back to the Job Change quest. - The room is filled with his opponents. ML realises the mages are the ones summoning the others so he targets the mages first. - After ML kills all of the mages, the many summoned opponents collapse. ML is granted the job of “Necromancer”, a hidden class. - ML’s points are tallied, with extra points for exceeding the expected time, killing all enemies, not using the hearthstone, and his health is above 50%. His total points exceed the feat limit. (Ch 45) - ML is promoted to the superior class of “Shadow Monarch, the King of the Dead”. - He receives the title, “The One Who Overcame Adversity”. - ML is now L51. His new title lets his stats increase proportionally to his missing health (ie 1% stat increase for every 1% HP missing). - ML extracts and saves the shadows of Igris (L7 knight), some soldiers and mages. - Shadow Extraction skill: “Arise” command phrase set. - Save Shadow skill - Han Songi, Jin-Ah’s school friend and an E-rank hunter. - She’s one of the hunters hired by ML and Jinho. - ML goes to meet Jin-Ah’s teacher for a parent-teacher interview. The teacher asks a favour of ML as a hunter to convince Jin-Ah’s hunter friend, Songi to graduate high school. - ML introduces Songi to Sangmin who arranged for them to experience a training session for new recruits. - Baek Yoonho, White Tiger guild master and a S-rank hunter. - He has a magic beast transformation skill. - Joo Sung Chan, Chief of the 1st management dept. - The raid party of 12 is led by Kim Chul, an A-rank hunter and consists of B and C-rank hunters. As the raid party enters the C-rank gate, it changes into a Red Gate. The party are sent to another world. They’re suddenly attacked by ice elf archers who disappear soon after. Kim Chul splits the party to take the higher ranked hunters with him to the dungeon, leaving 5 others behind. - Red Gates connect to another world and only appear in higher ranked gates. Once hunters step inside, the gate closes off. - No one can exit or enter the gate until the boss monster is killed or the dungeon opens on its own. Time passes much faster inside the gate than outside. - Hwang Dongsoo has arrived in the country. Woo Jinchul met him at the airport and takes him to where ML is. Woo Jinchul interrupts Dongsoo and Yoonho before they exchange blows. Dongsoo decides to leave and he goes back to the US. - Park Heejin, B-rank mage - Yoon Kijoong, C-rank tanker - Go Myung Hwan, C-rank martial artist - ML’s team of 5 entered the forest that’s been marked by ice bears. ML kills an ice bear with a single blow to the head. - ML provides warm coats for his team and they cook the bear meat. - ML finds the ice bear lair by himself. He calls forth his shadow army to deal with the bears. Igris fights the boss ice bear and presents the bear’s head to ML. The shadows of the ice bears are added to ML’s army. Later he names the boss ice bear “Tank”. - Kim Chul left the forest with his team and pressed ahead in the snow without sourcing food. They faced ice bears and yeti monsters. When ice elves appear, Kim Chul runs away as his team are all dead. He finds ML’s team all safe with warm gear and food supplies. He accuses them of hiding the supplies from his team and is about to attack when ML stops him with a blow to the head. - About 20 ice elves followed Kim Chul. Somehow ML can communicate with the elves. Baruka the leader of the ice elves wants ML to hand over the other hunters. ML responds by calling his shadow army and they fight the ice elves. - As ML fights Baruka, Kim Chul wakes up and attacks ML from behind. Igris protects ML and kills Kim Chul. - ML extracts Kim Chul’s shadow and calls it “Iron”. - Together with Iron and Igris, ML kills Baruka. The shadow army killed the other ice elves and they all level up. - Baruka was the dungeon boss. With him dead, the gate opens. - Baruka’s Dagger (A-rank): attack and agility buffs. - The 5 survivors exit the gate after a week inside and 7hrs outside. - ML takes Songi home after refusing to talk to Yoonho. - Sangmin is instructed by Yoonho to recruit ML at all costs. - Over the next 2 days, ML finishes clearing 19 dungeons with Jinho. ML is now L61. Jinho gets his guild master licence. - Jinho’s father will let Jinho manage the new Yoo Jin guild on the condition that Jinho recruit ML to the guild. - ML re-enters the Demon’s Castle dungeon and uses the key to open the castle door. He receives a quest to collect 10k demon souls. ML progresses through the floors of the castle. - On the 50th floor, ML faces a boss-grade demon. It’s the ruler of the lower floors, Avaricious Vulcan. While his shadow army fights the demon guards, ML battles Vulcan and kills it. - Demon Monarch’s earring (S-rank): strength, vitality buffs. - Orb of Avarice (A-rank): amplifies magic to deal more damage. - Vulcan’s horns x 2 - World Tree’s fragment - On the 75th floor, ML levels up after he defeats another boss-grade demon, Metus the Guide of Souls. - Demon Monarch’s necklace (S-rank): agility, intelligence buffs. - Spring Water of the Echoing Forest - Domain of the Monarch skill: shadows fighting above the caster’s shadow will have their stats increased by 50%. - ML has collected 10k souls and completes the quest. - ML can pick any item from the store. He chooses a cursed random box that will give an item he needs. It’s an unknown key. - The extra stat points are invested in ML’s intelligence. - The hidden reward is a recipe for the Holy Water of Life. - A powerful Korean hunter called Sung il-Hwan appears in an A-rank dungeon in the US. He says he was stuck in a dungeon for 10yrs when the gate closed. He’s being held by the US Hunter Management Bureau. When Dongsoo returns to the US, he’s asked to speak with Sung il-Hwan. - Gates, dungeons and monsters are a prelude to the real war. - The greatest disaster was woken up recently … - Sung il-Hwan’s goal is to stop the disaster. - Park Kyung-He is his wife. ML and Jin-Ah are his children. - Dongsoo provoked Sung il-Hwan by saying ML is dead. They fight and Dongsoo lost while Sung il-Hwan escaped. - Holy Water of Life (S-rank): a potion that can cure any disease. - ML wants to make this to cure his sick mother. - She suffers from Eternal Slumber, a sleep you can’t wake up from. It’s a disease that broke out after gates started appearing. - He has the World Tree’s fragment and the Spring Water. All that’s left is the Purified Blood of the Demon King. - ML visits the KHA office to have his rank re-evaluated. - The detector says ML’s magic power is immeasurable. - ML is most likely the country’s 10th S-ranker. - Choi Jongin (S-rank), Hunters guild master - Jongin tries to scout ML but he’s rejected by ML. - Go Gunhee 80+yo, Chairman of the KHA and a S-rank hunter. - Gunhee is looking for a successor as he doesn’t have much time left. He tries to recruit ML to the KHA. ML declines as he believes his place is in the dungeons fighting monsters. - The top 5 guilds in the country: - Hunters, Fame, White Tiger, Reaper and Knights. - The Hunter Auction: a market for hunters to buy or sell items obtained from dungeons. - Cha Hae-In, S-rank hunter and vice guild master of Hunters. - ML joins a mining team from the Hunters guild for an A-rank gate. The assault team is led by Jongin and Hae-In. - ML experiences how the assault team, mining team and collecting team (monster corpses) work together in a high rank gate. - ML agrees to join the mining team at another A-rank gate tomorrow. - Son Kihoon, an A-rank hunter and the raid party leader. - Kihoon asks for someone from the mining team to be the porter for the raid party. ML volunteers. - In the dungeon, over 20 high orcs confront the raid party. - ML joins the fight as the party struggles against the orcs. - He used stealth to kill one orc then weakened the other orcs so the party could kill them. - Kihoon decides to retreat with the party but the gate is blocked by a powerful magic barrier. About 50 high orcs arrive and one orc tells the party to follow them. They arrive at a huge hall with numerous high orcs. Their leader is a high orc mage and the final boss. The party were brought there to be entertainment as they’re killed one by one. Kihoon tries to attack the orc mage but succumbs to the orc’s strong magic. - ML saves Kihoon and gets permission to kill all of the monsters. ML summons his shadow army and uses his Domain of the Monarch skill. ML extracts the shadows of the dead high orcs to add to his army. He also drinks a potion to replenish his mana. - The curse spells on ML from the orc mage are cancelled out due to ML’s immunity effect. - Cha Hae-In has the ability to smell the scent of mana. - Cha Hae-In was curious about ML as he’s the 1st hunter who didn’t smell foul to her. She came looking for him at the A-rank gate and decides to enter it to find him. - Woo Jinchul arrives with a team from the KHA to look for ML. They detect a powerful magic energy from the gate and also enter it. - Cha Hae-In and Woo Jinchul with his team arrive at the hall and see a scene of chaos and carnage. ML is clearing this A-rank dungeon by himself. ML extracted the shadows of the 4 high orc guards. ML and the guards kill the orc mage. Then ML extracts the shadow of the orc mage and names it “Tusk”. - Later ML gives the Orb of Avarice to Tusk to use. - Kihoon and the raid party thank ML for saving them. - Woo Jinchul declares what happened with ML in this dungeon to be top secret. He and his men escort ML out of the gate. - Yoo Soo Hyun, Jinho’s cousin, an idol and A-rank hunter. - Lee Minsung, an idol and A-rank hunter - Lee Wonkyu, Minsung’s father and VP of Yoo Jin Architecture - Lim Taegyu, Reaper guild master - A press conference outside of the KHA office was arranged by attention whore Lee Minsung for his debut as a hunter. - ML enters the KHA office to have his rank re-evaluation confirmed after his abilities are assessed. He’s deemed to be a S-rank mage class hunter. ML is ambushed by the press as he leaves the KHA office. He uses his stealth and speed skill to evade them. - ML decides to create his own guild and asked Jinho to be the vice guild master. Jinho accepts ML’s offer and tells his father that he won’t be managing the Yoo Jin guild. - ML left some shadows to guard his sister and protect the neighbourhood. Then ML re-enters the Demon Castle dungeon for the 3rd time. He bought new gear, a wind robe and a water ring. - Quest: Defeat Baran the Demon King. - ML is now L81. He heads to the 76th floor of the castle. - On the 80th floor, ML meets Lady Esil, daughter of the Radir clan. She surrendered before he could kill her. - When ML asks if she hears anything in her head, she says “protect the area we reside in”. That’s different to “kill the humans” for the ice elves and high orcs. She mentions a great war in the demon world that required all of the demons to face their enemy together. - Esil takes ML to the Radir castle and gets the entry pass for him to proceed to the next floor. While ML spares the Radir clan, he destroys the clan on each floor up to and including the 89th floor. Esil has been guiding ML along the way. - Igris and Tank have reached their maximum level for their rank and they can be promoted. Igris becomes an elite knight while Tank is ranked as a knight. - The difficulty increased from the 90th floor. - ML continues to progress through the floors, leveling up himself and his shadow army. He’s L90 when he clears the 97th floor. - On the 100th floor ML faces the boss monster, Baran the Demon King on a wyvern. Baran summons 100s of demons. ML uses Domain of the Monarch then summons his shadow army as the demons converge upon him. ML targets the wyvern then Baran with Iron and Igris. - After repeatedly attacking Baran, ML grabs Baran’s arms. Esil distracts Baran from firing a blast from his mouth. ML uses all of his strength and Dominator’s Touch to rip off Baran’s arms that are holding daggers. ML kills Baran with a powerful blow that severs Baran’s head. - Demon Monarch’s ring (S-rank): sense and intelligence buffs. This completes the set with the earring and necklace. The set effect increases all stats. - Demon King’s longsword (S-rank): has the Storm of White Flames effect that summons endless lightning. - Demon King’s daggers x 2 (S-rank): increased attack - Baran’s horns x 2 - Purified Blood of the Demon King - ML uses the Purified Blood of the Demon King to craft the Holy Water of Life. He succeeds in creating 6 x potions. - While ML can’t extract the shadows of the demons due to their corrupted mana, he can with the wyvern. He names it “Kaisel”. - ML says goodbye to Esil and uses his new Shadow Exchange skill to swap locations with a shadow in his neighbourhood. - Shadow Exchange (job specific) skill: exchange locations between the user and the selected shadow. - ML’s quest rewards: - Highest quality runestone: Shadow Exchange - Bonus stat points - Title: “Demon Hunter” (condition requirement has not been met) - ML goes to the hospital and enters his mother’s room from the window. He gives her the Holy Water of Life potion and after a while she wakes up from her 4yr slumber. Her body is in perfect condition. - Jinho’s father is diagnosed with the Eternal Slumber disease. A special life support machine that uses magical energy is needed to sustain the patient. Those who died from this disease couldn’t afford the machine. - An S-rank gate opened 4yrs ago on Jeju Island. - After 3 failed raid attempts, the government abandoned the island. The ant monsters have since swarmed all over the island. - There are reports that the ant monsters have mutated and evolved over time. They have now developed wings. - An ant monster with wings managed to fly to a small island of Japan and killed everyone there. It was killed by an A-rank hunter. - Koto / Goto Ryuji, a S-rank hunter from Japan. He’s the Drawn Sword guild master that has 11 S-rank hunters as members. - Ryuji meets with Go Gunhee and proposes an alliance of Japanese and South Korean elite hunters to raid Jeju Island. - The Japanese hunters will lure and distract the ant monsters out from their nest. A jamming signal will be used to interfere with the special wavelength that the ants use for communication. - The South Korean hunters will attack the ant guards and queen ant left behind. With the queen ant dead, the other ant monsters will die in a year which is the length of their life expectancy. - ML is asked by Go Gunhee to participate in the Jeju Island raid. - ML goes with Go Gunhee to observe the S-rankers in training. - Ryuji suggests the Japanese and Korean hunters have a match. - The match consists of 2 groups with 4 hunters each. - The Japanese team won the match. ML stopped Kumamoto Atsushi who had lost control and was about to go on a rampage. - Min Byeong Gu, a S-rank healer (retired) - Ma Dong Ook, a S-rank hunter and Fame guild master. - Japanese S-rank hunters: - Ishida Mari, Hoshino Minoru (Team A) w/ Ryuji - Tawata Kanae, Kumamoto Atsushi (Team B) - Tanaka Kenjo, Shimizu Akari, Huzeshima Tatsumi (Team C) - Izawa Itpei, Kei (Team D) - Reiji Sugimoto, S-rank hunter and Drawn Sword vice guild master. He stayed behind in Japan. - Park Jongsoo, an A-rank hunter and Knights guild master - He’s part of the defence group that will contain Jeju Island. - Ryuji, the best hunter in Japan, asks for a 1-on-1 match with ML. - ML seems to be toying with Ryuji during the match. - They’re stopped by other hunters before they try to kill each other. - No one noticed ML had hid shadow soldiers in their shadows. - ML’s mother returns home. She’s still hoping her hunter husband will also find his way home after disappearing years ago. - ML has his shadows continue to watch over his neighbourhood. He stops a man from killing a woman in an alley. - Jinho has found an office for ML’s guild. - The Jeju Island raid starts. ML isn’t in the raid party. - 5k Korean hunters are on standby as the defence force. They’re there to prevent any ant monsters from infiltrating and attacking the mainland. A cameraman from the official hunter’s reporting centre who is also an A-rank hunter goes with the Korean S-rankers. - The Japanese S-rankers begin their attack and draw out the ant monsters. The jamming signal is activated from one of the Japanese naval ships. The Korean S-rankers enter the ant nest. - ML completes his daily quest. His stats are all over 200 now. - Before the raid, the most highly evolved ant monster hatched from a much larger than usual egg. It starts to kill the Japanese S-rankers. - The Korean S-rankers find the hatchery and kill the ant guards. They find the queen ant and her bodyguards next. Together the Korean S-rankers kill them all. The queen let out a cry before she died that wasn’t affected by the jamming signal. - The ants return to the nest, with the super ant arriving first. - The super ant sees the queen is dead, then it attacks the Korean S-rankers. Min Byeong Gu is killed and his head is consumed by the super ant who steals his power and knowledge. - The super ant is looking for the human king and it flies off after it detects Ryuji’s strong presence. The Korean S-rankers were all badly injured by the super ant as they struggle to fight the swarm of ants returning. - ML used Shadow Exchange to swap locations with a shadow soldier hidden in the Korean team’s shadow. - ML summoned his shadow army and they fight the swarm of ants. ML extracts the shadows of the killed ants to add to his army. - ML gave recovery potions to the other hunters except for Cha Hae-In who needed a powerful healer. - The super ant killed Ryuji and returned to the nest. - ML and the super ant fight each other. - The super ant is like ML. It’s a “Monarch”, a being that grows without limit. It uses Min Byeong Gu’s healing ability and tries to flee but is stopped and killed by ML. To heal Cha Hae-In, ML summons Min Byeong Gu after the camera is turned off. The hunters realise ML’s true power is to summon the dead. ML cancels the summons for Min Byeong Gu after he heals Cha Hae-In so he may rest in peace. - ML has now reached L100. - As the hunters evacuate from Jeju Island, ML stays behind. He and his shadow mages destroy the ant eggs in the hatchery. - ML extracts the shadow of the super ant. It’s rank is general and it has the highest rank out of all his shadows. It is also the only shadow that can talk. ML names it “Beru”. - Matsumoto Shigeo, President, Japanese Hunter Association (JHA). The Japanese participation in the Jeju Island raid was intended to give Ryuji the status of a nation-level hunter if it succeeded in closing the S-rank gate. If the raid failed, the Japanese S-rankers were going to leave behind the Korean S-rankers to die. - David Brannen, Director, US Hunter Management Bureau (HMB). - Michael Conner, Deputy Director, USHMB. - They saw the broadcast of the Jeju Island raid and want to recruit ML. They know ML is the son of Sung il-Hwan who escaped. - Beru tells ML that there were 8700 ants before the raid. Now 4k ants remain and they’re in disarray without a leader. - The ants are swarming everywhere and the defence force goes into action. ML ordered Beru to kill the remaining ants. - ML takes the mana crystal from Beru’s body and leaves the rest for the rebuilding of Jeju Island. - Thomas Andre, a US nation-level hunter and Scavenger guild master. He’s waiting for the chance to fight ML. - It takes 2 days to clean up the remaining ant monsters. - The Korean military and the Knights guild came to inspect the island on the 3rd day. They fainted after an encounter with 2 powerful beings that left by their own portals. - The Jeju island raid was ML’s debut and first official appearance as a S-ranker. He received much praise and criticism. - ML is invited to meet with Michael Conner who has a gift for ML. - Norma Selner, an upgrader: an awakened who can elevate the abilities of other awakeners and help them exceed their limits. - She can sense the connection awakeners have with the other side where they draw their powers from. - If the awakener’s power is strong, she’ll see a brilliant light. - When Norma uses her ability on ML, she sees that he is darkness itself. She stared into the abyss and the abyss stared back at her. ML’s power isn’t borrowed from the other side. His power comes from within so his power is limitless. ML is a King / Monarch who has no limits. - A B-rank gate opens near ML’s guild office. Go Gunhee gives ML permission to enter on his own. After ML enters, it becomes a Red Gate. In a rainy forest setting, ML easily defeats the tribal monsters and the final boss with his shadow army. - ML obtained a key to the Carthenon Temple from a cursed random box. The temple is the Double Dungeon that ML entered before he reawakened. - ML arrives at his guild office with a bag full of greater mana cores to fund his guild. He decides the guild name will be Ahjin guild. - Cha Hae-In visits ML’s guild office and asks to join. - ML wants to test her and he uses Shadow Exchange to take them to the KHA training centre. It confirms this skill acts like a gate. - Cha Hae-In fights and defeats Igris who is given the Demon King’s longsword to use from that point on. She defeats Igris. - Then she fights Beru but ML stops the fight before Beru kills her. She admits her interest is in him and not his guild. - A large runestone was found in the body of Kamish the dragon boss monster from the first S-rank gate 8yrs ago in the US. It’s stored with the skeletal remains of the dragon deep in the basement of the USHMB. - ML decides Cha Hae-In isn’t the right fit for his guild. - ML is invited by the Knights guild to join them on a raid in Busan. It’s for an A-rank gate that’s almost a S-rank. - Jeong Yerim, an A-rank healer from the Knights guild. - The assault team enters the gate with ML in the rear as backup. They kill a 2-headed ogre and are faced with a horde of undead. - Earlier a gate appeared unnoticed in an unused art room at Jin-Ah’s high school. After 7 days, orcs break out from the gate and start killing the students. 3 high orc shadows emerge from Jin-Ah’s shadow to fight the orcs. ML is notified by the high orc shadows. - He calls forth Beru to fight in his place with the Knights guild. ML quickly leaves the gate by riding Kaisel to Jin-Ah’s high school. - Beru leads the ant shadows to fight the undead with the Knights guild. The final boss is an arch lich guarded by death knights. - Beru easily kills the arch lich and the shadow army take out the rest. In the past, an arch lich was responsible for wiping out a guild in China. - ML arrives at the school as the orc chieftain was about to kill Jin-Ah. The shadow soldiers evacuate the few remaining students while ML kills the orcs himself to close the gate. - Go Gunhee shows ML the data on increased gate activity in the country and around the world in recent months. - The number of people awakening has also increased. - Several countries want to make contact with ML. - The KHA have blocked ML’s personal info at his request. - To keep ML in the country, the KHA will do what it can. - ML asks to be excluded from the minimum headcount rule and be allowed to enter high ranking gates by himself. - Yoo Jinsung, Jinho’s older brother. - Jinho invites Yoo Soo Hyun to join ML’s guild. - The Ahjin guild’s 1st official raid is for an A-rank gate. - Woo Jinchul joins ML and Jinho as an observer. - ML’s shadow army fulfill the roles of the assault, mining and collecting teams. Igris fights with the Demon King’s longsword. - ML fights the boss naga on his own and attains L101. - ML extracts the shadow of the boss naga and calls it “Jima”. - Woo Jinchul tells Go Gunhee that it wasn’t a raid but a massacre. - ML’s job specific skills also leveled up. He can now see what his shadows see. He can check to see how his family and friends are doing through the shadows he’s assigned to them. - Cha Hae-In meets ML to pass on a message. The spirit of Min Byeong Gu told Cha Hae-In’s spirit to warn ML to be careful with his own power. It makes ML even more curious about the source of his power. - Yuri Orlov, a S-ranker and barrier expert - A S-rank gate appears in Tokyo. The 4 remaining S-rankers of the Drawn Sword guild attend a meeting with the other guilds. - Yuri is hired after being paid a fortune to block the gate. All citizens are evacuated from Tokyo. 15 S-rankers are on standby. - S-rank gates have appeared in other countries too. - Matsumoto Shigeo, President of the JHA. - He met with Go Gunhee to ask for ML’s help with the Tokyo S-rank gate. Go Gunhee reveals he knows what was planned by Matsumoto after a black box was recovered from a Japanese S-ranker’s body on Jeju Island. Later Matsumoto gives himself up to the police in Japan. - Another gate has appeared at the now closed high school. ML enters and sees the raid party from the Courage guild has cleared the dungeon and is trying to open a pair of large doors. - ML uses the Carthenon Temple key to unlock the door. ML saves a Courage guild member from being killed by a giant stone statue. This convinces the raid party to leave and report the Double Dungeon to the KHA. - ML faces the angel of death holding the stone tablet with the commandments. The angel is the true master of the stone statue puppets in the chamber. ML is given a final test. If he survives, he will be told everything as a reward. ML must defeat the giant stone statues using his own strength. He can’t summon his shadow army. - The colossal stone statue also comes to life. - ML uses Dominator’s Touch that has upgraded to Ruler’s Authority to use the giant statues as a shield for the colossus’ eye beams. ML is now L103 and he repeatedly attacks the head of the colossus until it falls down, defeated. - An emergency quest is generated to kill the angel of death in 10 mins. The angel’s true identity is the Architect, the creator and designer of the player leveling system. ML grows stronger and faster as he fights the Architect. ML defeats the Architect and is told the answer is inside ML. A status window appears that gives ML the option to retrieve the data stored in his memory. He accepts and the data is successfully retrieved. - In ML’s mind, he sees another world with countless monsters gathered before several gates appearing in the sky. - Winged silver soldiers exit the gates and descend to fight the monsters. The 1st battle is won by the silver army. - Someone else called the Shadow Monarch summons the shadows of the dead monsters to create an immortal army. The 2nd battle is lost by the silver army. - Baran the Demon King leads the demon clans and the Beast King leads the beast monsters. They betray and fight against the Shadow Monarch and his shadow army. The Beast King ran away. Baran is killed by the Shadow Monarch who becomes ML. - Woo Jinchul, Choi Jongin and Cha Hae-In enter the temple with a group of high ranked KHA and Hunters guild members. - ML is standing motionless while the Architect greets them. The stone statues including the colossus are revived and attack them. - Choi Jongin and Cha Hae-In try to wake up ML but are stopped by the Architect who awaits the true Shadow Monarch to possess ML. - ML finally wakes up and smashes the Architect’s face with one punch. ML is able to somehow maintain his own ego while having the Black Heart of the Shadow Monarch. The conditions were met for ML’s title of Demon Hunter. He remembered how to defeat Baran and the magic power of the Black Heart acknowledges ML as its owner. ML’s mana is boosted by 100k points. - The system blocks the Architect’s access when he tries to destroy it. ML has / will devour the system (?) - A prophecy (?): “When the pillars of fire are built to uphold the heavens, an inevitable death shall find you”. - ML slashes the Architect to pieces. - After exiting the gate, ML collapses and is asleep for 3 days. - ML finds out the barrier for the Tokyo S-rank gate was a failure. Yuri Orlov was eaten by the giant monsters that broke out from the gate. The giants are destroying everything in their path. - ML decides to go to Tokyo. Jinho insists on going with him. - In Tokyo, ML and his shadow army fight the giants. Jinho assists the military with evacuating a hospital. - ML extracts the shadows from the dead giants. Shadows are sent to help hunters in other areas. Other gates throughout Japan reacted to the S-rank dungeon break and had their own dungeon breaks. - ML’s plentiful mana allows the shadows to continually regenerate. - After the other giants are killed, ML recalls his huge shadow army to gather in Tokyo to face the largest giant guarding the S-rank gate. - The army charges at the large giant. ML repeatedly attacks the head with Igris. Beru enters the head through the eye and does more internal damage. In the end the large giant is killed but it’s not the boss monster. ML enters the gate with Beru. At the end of a huge hallway is a giant bound by many chains and a magic circle. - The Rulers: ancient enemies of the Monarchs - Regia the Giant King is the Monarch of the Beginning. - Pledge of Honesty: a curse prevents you from lying. - Monsters: denizens of the Chaos World. The ones that emerge from gates are remnants of defeated armies. They were captured by the winged silver soldiers, the armies of the Rulers. - The Rulers intend to transform this world into a battlefield and fight the 9 Monarchs again. The Rulers send monsters through the gates and dungeons to inject magical energy into this world. - The density of magical energy grows by the day from the blood of monsters. Magical energy empowers the world and makes the world strong enough to withstand the effects of war. - The power ML possesses isn’t actually his. The fact ML possesses this power is proof that the original owner has betrayed the Monarchs. ML is now the enemy of the Monarchs and the Rulers. - Monarchs and Rulers have spiritual bodies that disappear when they’re killed. They can’t be made into shadows. - While Regia agrees to be on ML’s side, Regia isn’t on the side of humanity. Through the mana crystal embedded in Regia’s back, the Rulers would keep sending the message to kill all humans. - ML decides to kill Regia as the Giant King could become a calamity. ML cuts off Regia's head. ML obtains a mana crystal from Regia and levels up to L122. The S-rank gate is cleared and closes. - Jinho’s father enters the final sleep state of the Eternal Slumber disease. Jinho rushes back from Japan and sees for himself. - As Jinho leaves, ML uses Shadow Exchange and enters the hospital room to give Jinho’s father the Holy Water of Life potion. - Christopher (Chris) Reid, US nation-level hunter - Liu Zhigang, the (7-star) nation-level hunter from China - Michael Conner and Norma Selner visit Chris to warn him about his pending murder. Norma had a prophetic dream of Chris being killed. They give him the contact details for Go Gunhee if he decides to ask for ML’s help. - “Brilliant Light” / “Luminosity” fragments x 7 - 3 powerful beings attack and kill Chris Reid in his home. - The USHMB think ML’s father is the culprit. - International Guild Conference in the US: this year ML’s guild is invited to attend as the representative for South Korea. In previous years it was the Hunters guild. - The USHMB agents meet ML at the conference centre and take him to see David Brannen, the head of the USHMB. - ML is told he is a candidate to fill Chris Reid’s place. - The USHMB are offering the runestone from Kamish the Dragon. ML is more interested in the preserved body of the dragon and asks to see it. ML extracts the shadow of Kamish who says before it served the Dragon King. Unfortunately the dragon’s shadow can’t be sustained as it’s been too long since it’s death. - Before it disappears, Kamish warns of 4 humans who have borrowed the Rulers’ powers. Kamish’s shadow returns to the void. - 9 Monarchs: - Shadow Monarch, the King of the Dead (was Ashborne) - White Flames Monarch, the King of the Demons - Beginning Monarch, the King of the Giants - Destruction Monarch, the King of Berserk Dragons (Antares) - Frost Monarch, the King of the Ice Elves / Snow Folk - Fang Monarch, the King of Beasts - Plague Monarch, the Queen of Insects - Transfiguration Monarch - Steel Body Monarch, the King of Monstrous Humanoids - Jinho and Woo Jinchul came with ML to the US. No shadow was assigned to Jinho ever since ML helped Jinho’s father. - Jinho was tricked and kidnapped from the hotel by Hwang Dongsoo. Thomas Andre had earlier warned Dongsoo to stay away from ML. Jinho is taken to an abandoned factory and beaten up until he’s almost dead. ML uses Shadow Exchange to swap with the shadow that found Jinho. - An enraged ML starts throttling Dongsoo while another shadow takes Jinho to the nearest hospital. Thomas Andre arrives with the entire Scavenger guild. Thomas intervenes to fight ML. - Their battle destroys the surrounding area in minutes. - ML’s shadow army fights the Scavenger guild. ML smashes through Thomas’ reinforced armour and breaks every bone in Thomas’ body. ML stops when Thomas surrenders. - The only person to die was Hwang Dongsoo. - ML extracted his shadow and named him “Greed”. - ML used Shadow Exchange to swap with Beru who was watching over ML’s family. Beru healed Jinho as much as possible. - ML suspects the 4 humans who borrowed the Rulers’ powers are among the survivors who defeated Kamish from the 1st S-rank gate. - At the conference, research data is shared that shows magical energy has become concentrated in the sky above 9 countries. - The strongest concentration is above Seoul. - The murder of Chris Reid is made public and the suspect is identified as ML’s father. When asked, ML agrees that a monster should be killed. If the suspect isn’t a monster and is really his father, ML will do all he can to protect his family even if if means going against every hunter in the world. - Norma meets with ML and she asks him to protect the top hunters. She has dreams of these hunters being killed but can’t see who the killers are. ML has the same unlimited power that the killers have. ML thinks the killers could be Monarchs. When she saw the abyss in ML’s eyes that time, a voice said to go back and prepare for war. - ML asks for a list of the high priority hunters to protect. - On the last night of the conference at the party hosted by the USHMB, ML assigns shadows to all of the international guests there. Jinho is fully recovered and by ML’s side. - Thomas Andre arrives with a broken arm. He’s grateful to ML for sparing his life and those of his guild members. - Go Gunhee is attacked in his office by the Frost Monarch. Gunhee has the brightest Luminosity fragment out of the 7. Despite being stabbed in the heart, Gunhee breaks the isolation barrier around his office to let ML’s shadow escape and swap with ML. - The Frost Monarch forces ML to choose between fighting or saving Gunhee from an ice arrow. ML stops the arrow as the Frost Monarch leaves through a portal. - After Gunhee’s funeral and news of the death of Jonas the great Brazilian hunter, ML holds a press conference. - ML announces that powerful beings (“monsters”) are targeting world class hunters. He recommends those who think they’ll be targeted should stay with comrades willing to protect them. Those who have no one to stay with can contact ML through the KHA. - ML is now L133. - Woo Jinchul reluctantly agrees to be the new KHA Chairman. - Thomas Andre has fully recovered and visits ML with a gift. - Kamish’s Wrath: a dagger crafted from the dragon’s fang. - Suddenly the largest gate ever seen appears in the sky. - All citizens are evacuated from Seoul. - ML takes Cha Hae-In on a date at an amusement park. - That park is where ML’s father disappeared into a gate. - The Beast King starts attacking hunters in Seoul. - Thomas fights the Beast King but is injured. - Lennart Niermann, Richter guild, Germany - Lennart was in Seoul to meet ML. He steps up to fight the Beast King but is saved by Kaisel and ML. Lennart takes Thomas away as ML faces the Beast King. The Frost and Plague Monarchs also show themselves. Most of ML’s shadow army are frozen in ice by the Frost Monarch. - ML has to fight the Monarchs one by one. ML slices up and kills the Plague Monarch. He levels up to L146. - ML attacks the Frost Monarch from behind but is then himself stabbed through by the claws of the Beast King. - With HP at 0, ML dies but has met the requirement for the unknown passive skill of the Black Heart. ML’s power has become absolute after death. - ML wakes up and has returned to the time he was in hospital after surviving the Double Dungeon massacre. - ML retained everything except for his shadow army. - The system keeps asking if he would like to restart the world. - ML’s desire to correct his mistakes with Ashborne’s power created this illusionary world. (Ch 163) - In the beginning on another world, there was only Light and Darkness. The Absolute Being separated the Light into Messengers of God and the Darkness into the 8 Monarchs. - The forces of Light and Darkness fought eachother endlessly. - The brightest Luminosity fragment asked the Absolute Being to stop the continuous war. The neverending struggle between Light and Darkness was a source of entertainment for the Absolute Being who had no intention of stopping it. - The Luminosity fragments rebelled against the Absolute Being. Ashborne was the only Messenger of God (and the brightest Luminosity fragment?) that fought against the rebels. Ashborne died but was given a special power over the dead by the Absolute Being. - Ashborne was revived as the Shadow Monarch and his dead soldiers became his shadow army. The Absolute Being was already dead. The other Luminosity fragments became the new gods called the Rulers. - After the betrayal by Baran and the Beast King, Ashborne hid himself to let his body recover. When he emerged, the other Monarchs were already defeated by the Rulers. The Monarchs escaped to the dimensional rift to recover. - Cup of Reincarnation: the tool of god that contained the power of the Absolute Being. It turns back time by 10yrs. - The Rulers have already used the Cup many times to correct their mistakes while the Monarchs adjusted their plans with each reincarnation. The power of the Cup is almost exhausted. - The Rulers’ reason to exist is to maintain this world. Rulers lent their magical power to humans to be able to kill monsters (ie awakening). - The Monarchs’ reason to exist is for destruction. Monarchs use a body as a vessel to descend into the world. The host body must be able to handle the Monarch’s power. - The Architect created the system to search for a host body suitable for Ashborne. ML didn’t conform to the system, broke the rules and he kept exceeding expectations. Ashborne was watching the whole time and chose ML. - “I am the record of your struggles, the evidence of your resistance, and the reward for your pain”. Ashborne and ML are already one. - ML decides to return to reality while Ashborne returns to the eternal void to rest. ML’s father has been protecting ML’s body encased in ice from the Frost Monarch and the Beast King. - ML deletes the system (?) and he now has absolute power over death and darkness. The highest ranked shadows regain their full power potential (ie Beru, Igris). - The Beast King flees through a portal to avoid facing the full power of the Shadow Monarch. ML bursts out of the ice, along with Igris and Beru. ML locates the Beast King while Igris fights the Frost Monarch. In a rainforest, ML kills the Beast King and returns to Seoul with his fangs (claws?). ML’s difference in power with the Frost Monarch is too great and ML kills him. - ML finds his badly injured father with an arm torn off. - While trapped in the dimension rift, ML’s father became a Luminosity fragment after the Rulers lent their power to him to stop the Monarchs. - With the complete advent of the Shadow Monarch, the Rulers ordered ML’s father to protect ML. They needed ML’s power to stop the other Monarchs. ML’s father can no longer handle the Rulers’ power with his weakened body. He says he always missed his family and that ML has done well. Then his body vanishes. ML keeps his father’s dagger. - A few days later, the massive gate above Seoul breaks open. - The original shadow army under Ashborne exits the gate. This army includes 3 shadow dragons. ML has inherited them and they bow to their new king. Later ML goes to an uninhabited island and holds a mock battle by dividing his shadow army in two. Beru challenges Bellion, the grand marshal under Ashborne, to a duel. - Jinho’s father visits ML to thank ML for saving his life. - He wants to repay ML in some way. ML asks him to look after his family if anything happens to him. - Massive gates like the one above Seoul appear in the sky over 8 countries. ML inherited Ashborne’s memories. ML transfers them to Woo Jinchul for him to understand the devastation to come. - The KHA gather representatives from all countries. ML warns all civilians to get away as far as possible from the gates. - ML went to China and meets up with Liu Zhigang and the 100k elite hunter army there. As the expected day of the gate break arrives, nothing comes out of the gates around the world except for Canada. ML realises the Monarchs tricked him by opening 8 gates and coming out from the gate furthest away from ML. - The Canadians didn't believe ML and rallied behind their hunters to face whatever came out of their gate. The Destruction Monarch emerges from the gate. He’s followed by his army of dragons who destroy everything in sight. The other 2 Monarchs with their armies soon follow. - ML can teleport anywhere now through normal shadows. - ML visits David Brannen at the USHMB office and asks for Kamish’s runestone. Then ML visits Norma to check his future. She’s upset that he will sacrifice himself to save everyone who won’t remember what he’s done. - ML and half of his shadow army face the monsters and dragons under the Destruction Monarch that have crossed into the US. ML extracts the shadows of those killed. Elsewhere in the US, Thomas Andre faces the Steel Body Monarch. Bellion, Beru and the other half of the shadow army emerge after hiding in Thomas’ shadow. - Steel Body Monarch is defeated. - Kamish’s runestone: Dragon Fear skill - Transfiguration Monarch immobilised (and defeated?) - Final battle between Destruction Monarch and ML. - The magical energy generated from their battle summons the Rulers’ armies to arrive through multiple gates. - Destruction Monarch is defeated after ML cleaved his body almost in half with his father’s dagger and the Rulers pierced through his body with their spears. - ML asks to use the Cup of Reincarnation for the last time so he can take on everything and save everyone with his own power. He will hunt and fight the Monarchs in the dimensional rift. - ML returns to when he was a schoolboy, before his father became a hunter and before the gates appeared. - He enjoys the peace for a while then disappears to fight the Monarchs. Time in the dimensional rift flows faster than the real world. 27yrs later in the rift, ML has defeated the other Monarchs and faces Antares again. - ML returns after defeating Antares. 2yrs have passed in the real world.

Ch 126 as of 22/05/22 - better if no harem, no romance (webtoon and webnovel on Tapas) ** End of season 1, Ch 25 ** End of season 2, Ch 56 ** End of season 3, Ch 85 - ML was King Grey in an advanced, futuristic world. He died under suspicious circumstances. He is reborn as Arthur (Art) Leywin, with parents Alice the healer and Reynolds (Rey) the augmented sword warrior with an affinity for fire. They used to be adventurers. - ML retains his memories and experiences from his past life. - As King Grey, ML was lonely and empty despite the fame and glory that came with his victories and status. - In this archaic world, magic exists. Mana is all around us. - Mana is most commonly used to either augment (enhance one’s body or weapon with mana) or conjure (emit mana to the outside world to bend one’s surroundings to one’s will). - Conjurers must supplement their mana core with ambient mana from their environment to cast a spell. - Alice is a deviant or an emitter. She’s a rare type of mage able to cast unique restorative mana using light magic. - A mage’s first awakening occurs when their mana core manifests. - The mana core sounds similar to the Qi centre. Qi is a life force used to strengthen one’s body and weapon through vigorous training in ML’s past world. Qi only existed inside a person. - ML cultivates his mana inside his body and he does self study from the books in his home once he started to crawl. He awakens his mana core early before he’s 3yo and is considered a prodigy. - ML learns basic mana manipulation and augmentation. - ML receives a wooden sword for his 3rd bday and starts training with Reynolds. - Strength and power is measured by the colour of your mana core. - The mana core is purified as the impurities are filtered out over time. The stages start from black, red, orange, yellow, silver to white. Each stage is split into 3 shades: dark, solid and light. - ML’s parents decide they’ll all go to the floating city of Xyrus to find a proper teacher / mentor for 4.5yo ML. They travel with old friends from the Twin Horns party. Later ML finds out Alice is pregnant. - Adam Krensh, spear augmenter - Angela Rose, wind conjurer - Durden Walker, earth conjurer - Jasmine Flamesworth, dual swords augmenter (A-class) - Helen Shard, archery augmenter and elf? - On the way, the group is attacked and surrounded by a large group of bandits / slave traders. As ML fled with Alice, he saves her from an attack by a mage. ML and the mage fall off a cliff. - ML survived the fall as he was saved by magic from Sylvia, a mana beast who later appears as a giant figure in black armour. - ML finds himself in the beast glades near the elven kingdom of Elenoir. He’s guided by Sylvia’s voice to a hidden cavern. - Beast glades: an expansive, dangerous and uncharted territory with mana beasts of all levels. - Sylvia needs time to prepare a portal for him to return to his family. She lets ML know that she sensed his family and friends are safe. She tells him not to let vengeance and hatred cloud his heart. Don’t let grief and rage corrode his mind. Learn from these experiences and face his future with his gaze forward. Only then will he truly be victorious. - For almost 4mths, Sylvia teaches ML about mana rotation, ie how to absorb mana while moving or fighting. ML practises maintaining a steady inward flow of mana while being able to fight proficiently. - Sylvia is dying from a large wound she sustained from her enemies. She turns into her original form as a griffin / dragon to complete the portal. - Sylvia gives ML an egg and plucks a feather from her wing for ML to wrap around the egg to hide it's aura. She infuses her beast will to ML by marking his arms with runes. Her enemies arrive as she pushes ML through the portal. In a parting message, Sylvia calls ML “King Grey”. - ML finds himself deep in the forest near Elenoir. - ML kills a group of 4 slave traders and saves an elf girl, Tessia Eralith. He takes her back to Elenoir and finds out she’s the daughter of King Alduin and Queen Merial Eralith. - ML explains what happened to the elven royal family. - The portal between Elenoir and the Sapin kingdom is only accessible once every 7yrs, during the summit conference between the 3 races. It’s still 5yrs until the portal next opens. - Elder Virion Eralith, former king and Tessia’s grandpa. - Virion is also a mid-silver core mage. - After testing ML, Virion asks ML to be his disciple. - ML has been having bouts of searing pain from his mana core and those bouts are becoming more frequent. It’s because ML’s 5yo body isn’t coping with the power from Sylvia’s beast will. - Beast Will: A powerful mana beast can pass on their will or inherent ability once, either to their offspring or the person they’re bound to. It allows the receiver to borrow the beast’s abilities upon assimilation. - Beast tamer: mages who have conquered the monstrous beast will inside and can harness the unique abilities inherited from the mana beast. A legacy beast tamer refers to the beast willingly imparting it's mana core to the beast tamer. - Virion as a fellow beast tamer helps ML to assimilate Sylvia’s beast will into his body. ML slowly fuses his bones, muscles and organs with mana. - ML communicates with his parents through a diviner, Rinia Darcassan. She’s a deviant and Virion’s old friend. - ML speaks to his parents in their minds. He lets them know he’s alive and safe. He’s staying at Elenoir to get treated for an illness. Once he’s better he’ll return to them. - 3yrs later and ML is 8yo. - The egg from Sylvia hatches and a black baby griffin / dragon comes out. ML names his new bond ‘Sylvie’. She bit his arm and left a mark that seems to let her communicate thoughts and feelings to ML. The presence of the mark is hidden when it’s covered by Sylvia’s feather. Sylvie most likely hatched because ML had just fully activated Sylvia’s beast will. - The 1st interracial youth tournament among the 3 kingdoms has been confirmed. The portal in Xyrus city of the Sapin kingdom will be open in 4mths time. ML can go back to his family then. - Virion gets ML to focus on training his mana core and beast will. To show ML the 2nd stage, Virion integrates with the beast will of a shadow panther. - 1st stage, Acquire Phase: a beast tamer is able to borrow their beast’s inherent strengths. - 2nd stage, Integrate Phase: when the beast tamer can truly utilise their beast’s unique abilities and characteristics. - With Virion’s help, ML reaches the 1st stage. ML also learns how to conceal his beast will from other mages. - Tessia is sad to see her 1st true friend go. Virion gives ML a pendant with the Eralith House crest to help ML navigate the forest in the future. - ML enters the portal and is teleported to Xyrus city. - ML is reunited with his family and meets his 3yo sister Eleanor (Ellie). His family are staying with their good friends Vincent and Tabitha Helstea, who have an 8yo daughter Lilia. - Lilia is under pressure from her parents to awaken as a mage. They want her to have the opportunities they couldn’t give her as neither of them are mages. - Reynolds is the instructor for the Helstea Auction House guards. - Reynolds now has a dark orange core while ML has a light red core. ML spars with Reynolds in hand-to-hand combat. - ML goes shopping with the ladies and girls. - Beast core: a magical core extracted from a mana beast that’s been killed. It’s used to power up but the effects between cores can vary vastly. A forged beast tamer refers to using an extracted beast core. - 4 basic elements: fire, water, earth, wind - Higher elements (deviants): lightning, ice, gravity, sound - Cynthia Goodsky, a high-silver core mage. She’s the founder and director of the Xyrus Academy, the best and most prestigious magic institution on the continent. - As a favour to Vincent, Cynthia tests ML and finds his magic and combat abilities to be exceptional. ML reveals to Cynthia that he has affinity with all 4 elements (and 2 deviants, ice and lightning). - ML is this world’s 1st quadra-elemental mage. - In private, ML makes a deal with Cynthia that he’ll attend the Academy if she uses her power and influence to protect his family until he’s strong enough to do so himself. - Until ML starts at the Academy when he’s 11yo, ML convinces his parents to let him go adventuring. ML must have a guardian and he must visit his family at least once every 2mths. - ML asks Vincent for some special equipment: a protective cloak with a hood, a suitable sword, and a voice altering mask. - To repay Vincent for his help, ML guides Lilia and Eleanor through special breathing exercises to help them cultivate their mana and awaken. ML imbues them with mana at the start. - 10th anniversary of Helstea Auction House: - The Twin Horns party arrive and are overjoyed to see ML. - The Twin Horns provide extra security at the celebrations. - Nobles and adventurers alike attend the special auction event. - The Halsteas and ML’s family are taken to the VIP suite. - King Blaine and Queen Priscilla Glayder of the Sapin kingdom with their children Prince Curtis and Princess Kathlyn. - The King won the bid for an A-class beast core from a silver coat bear. He also won the bid for the last item, a world lion cub. - Sebastian the royal mage covets Sylvie and schemes to steal her. - The King tries to make ML give up Sylvie as a gift to reward Sebastian for his loyal service. ML counters by asking the King how much would he sell his child for. A royal knight attacks ML who knocks out the knight with a punch to the head. - ML uses his “Static Void” skill to temporarily separate himself and Sebastian from time and space. ML puts Sebastian in his place by breaking his leg. ML faints from overusing his skill. - A royal representative advises that the knight and Sebastian have been fired. A small pouch of gold is given as compensation. - In the huge storage room of the Hestia Auction House, Sylvie helps find a sword for ML. It’s called Dawn’s Ballad and only unsheathes when ML activates his beast will. It absorbs ML’s blood and magically adjusts it's length and weight to suit ML. - ML’s 9th bday gifts: - Custom-made black gloves with 3 healing gems - 2 rings. Arthur wears 1 ring and Alice wears the other ring which has a gem that lights up if Arthur’s mana is very low. - Sound transmission scrolls - ML wants to grow stronger so he can protect the people he loves. In his past life, ML became strong to get revenge. - Jasmine Flamesworth from the Twin Horns party volunteers to be ML’s guardian. Just after his 9th bday, ML goes with Jasmine to the Xyrus adventurers guild hall to take the rank examination. He wears a mask and his alias is ‘Note’. - NB: House Flamesworth is known for it's powerful fire mages. - Jasmine became an adventurer to get away from her family. She doesn’t have any affinity for fire, which made her family see her as inferior. Jasmine has since awakened her affinity for wind. - ML is reminded of his past life where he had a weak Qi centre. - Mock duel for the rank examination: - Elijah Knight, B-Class rank (automatic, didn’t have to do the mock duel). Dark red stage. Raised by dwarves. - Lucas Wykes 11yo, B-Class rank. Light orange stage. Fire affinity. Half-elf blood. He’s from a noble family notorious for their unethical practices to produce powerful mages. - Kaspian Bladeheart, AA-Class rank mage, head of the guild. He intervened to personally test ML. He tried to push ML to reveal all of his abilities and failed. He gave ML a B-Class rank, which ML was satisfied with. - Now that ML is a licensed adventurer, he teleports with Jasmine through a portal to the mana-rich beast glades. Sylvie chooses to hunt and explore on her own, growing over time. ML and Sylvie can still sense each other through their bond. - For 2yrs ML focuses on his sword skills instead of relying on his magic. He realised from the mock duel that he spent too much time honing just his magic skills until they became a crutch. - The rumours are rife among adventurers about the masked swordsman (ie ML). A drunk B-class swordsman confronts ML at a pub. ML slices off his fingers when the drunk attacks. - ML and Jasmine have been swapping wind magic and blade techniques. ML hears that Lilia has awakened. - 11yo ML is now A-Class and at the light orange stage. - He and Jasmine join a new team to explore the Dire Tombs dungeon. When killed, the dungeon’s inhabitants reanimate. - 1st floor: bat monsters come from the ceiling. - Hidden entrance: follow a passage and enter a cavern that has several openings in the ground to reveal the lava below. - Dungeon party: - Brald Landon, AA-class augmenter, Fire, light yellow. - Reginald Bastion, A-class augmenter, Earth, solid yellow. - Kriol Masser, tanker, Water augmenter. - Oliver Hemmbet, A-class conjurer, healing emitter, dark yellow. - Samantha Tempest, A-class conjurer, Water, dark yellow. - Elijah, A-class conjurer, Earth, dark orange. - Lucas, A-class conjurer, Fire, dark yellow. - Jasmine, AA-class augmenter, Wind, light yellow, dual swords. - Oliver is arrogant and careless. He goes ahead and is fried when a random eruption of lava spews forth. - Huge worm monsters emerge and dive back down into the ground. Brald the party leader loses an arm while saving Samantha from another lava eruption. Lucas throws a tantrum about the crippled leader and dead healer. - ML tells Lucas to stop being an ass because right now he’s a liability. Brald wants to push ahead but nominates ML to lead from now on. They exit the cavern and at the end of another tunnel, they enter a lush green cavern shrouded in mist. - The mist seems to cause hallucinations. Kriol runs off towards a vision of his dead fiancée. - The party are confronted by numerous vines that attack and quickly regenerate. Suddenly an Elderwood Guardian (S-class mana beast) appears. Kriol is trapped by the vines that cover the green giant’s body. Reginald goes on a rampage to try and free Kriol. Brald also attacks the giant but both Reginald and Brald are consumed by it. - Lucas won’t risk his life to save everyone. He blasts fire at ML and Jasmine, badly injuring them both. Lucas blasts the ceiling to block the exit, trap everyone behind and give him time to escape. - ML is forced to activate the 2nd phase of his beast will. - Sylvie senses this but ML tells her to stay away. - ML uses a powerful ice spell to completely freeze the Elderwood Guardian and the vines. Then he totally smashes the ice into pieces. - ML faints and the gem on Alice’s ring lights up. - ML wakes up to see Elijah who helped to protect ML and Jasmine when the cavern collapsed. The healing gems on ML’s glove are used on himself and the unconscious Jasmine. - Elijah created the metal dome shelter around them. - Elijah is 11.5yo and doesn’t know who his parents are. - He was raised in Darv by a dwarf elder called Rahdeas. - When he reached the dark orange stage, he woke up to find himself surrounded by black metal spikes. Rahdeas told Elijah it was time for him to leave and explore the continent. - ML tried to save everyone because he promised Sylvia that he’d become a better person and cherish the people around him. - Samantha is found unconscious under another metal shelter created by Elijah. She’s holding ML’s mask and the Elderwood Guardian’s mana core. Sylvie crashes through the ceiling to pickup the 4 dungeon survivors. Sylvie has grown a lot from hunting mana beasts and eating their cores. - The others insist ML takes the Elderwood Guardian’s mana core as he alone was the one who killed it. - Elijah and Jasmine go to the adventurer’s guild for help. - ML stays behind with Samantha and Sylvie. He uses the Sound Transmission Scroll to send a message to his family to reassure them that he’s safe. Then he uses some of the Elderwood Guardian’s mana core to heal his body. - 4 dead, 4 critically injured, 1 traitor. Lucas’ insubordination and betrayal led to the deaths of their party members. - The guild investigates the dungeon, retrieves the bodies and obtains testimonies from the survivors. At the hearing into the dungeon tragedy, Lucas is given a very light punishment. - He’s stripped of his A-Class rank and banned from listing as an adventurer again. His family’s power and connections let him walk free from his atrocities. - ML made a secret deal with Kaspian to protect the people he cares about until ML is strong enough to take on the entire Wykes family. The head judge declares that ML may not go anywhere near Lucas or his family during Lucas’ attendance at Xyrus Academy. ML owes the guild a favour for agreeing to this charade. - Kaspian gave ML a large bag of gold which ML spent on a dimension ring with a small inventory space. - Sylvie transforms to disguise her true appearance. - Jasmine leaves for another quest with the Twin Horns. - Lilia has recently started attending the Xyrus Academy. - ML invites Elijah to stay with his family. - ML gives the S-class mana beast core to Reynolds. - Later Reynolds absorbs all of the mana to reach the solid orange stage but the core doesn’t crumble, so he gives it back to ML. The core contains a beast will. ML can’t assimilate this 2nd beast will or else it’ll be destroyed by his dragon will. - ML asks Vincent to sponsor Elijah so he can attend the Academy. - Vincent introduces ML to Gideon, a famous researcher and the greatest inventor and artifact craftsman in the history of the continent. Gideon is like an eccentric, mad scientist. - The royal families have been asking Gideon to find a way to travel long distances across the ocean. There’s evidence of a new continent beyond Dicathen. - The over-reliance on mana in this world has stunted the development and advancement of non-magical technology. - ML uses knowledge from his past life to draw an initial design for a steamboat. ML agrees to complete the design when Gideon offers 2 phoenix wyrm pendants that were made for the royal family. A protective cocoon is conjured around the wearer of this artifact. If the cocoon breaks, the wearer will be transported to a safe location. - NB: Phoenix wyrms are S-class mana beasts as rare as dragons. They have the unique ability to preserve their own lives and protect themselves from danger. - While in town, Elijah and ML stop a group of 5 nobles from bullying a dwarf student. Princess Kathlyn saw ML from her carriage and stops a lethal magic attack on ML from Jamiel Tridant, the group’s leader. - ML contacts Cynthia with a 2-way communication scroll. He uses his influence with Cynthia by making his attendance at the Academy conditional on this group being expelled for racial bullying and using lethal magic in the city. She agrees right away. - Everyone is gathered to hear an important announcement from the 3 royal families about unifying the continent. - On the Dicathen continent, there are 3 kingdoms: Sapin, Elenoir and Darv. The royal families of Sapin (human), Elenoir (elf) and Darv (dwarf) announce a continental alliance. There is evidence of a new continent that brings opportunity and possibly danger. - They assign 6 white core mages to represent and protect the continent as the 6 Lances: - Alea Triscan, an elf - Varay Aurae - Olfred Warend, a dwarf - Aya Grephin, an elf - Mica Earthborn, a dwarf - Bairon Wykes, older half brother of Lucas - The Council: the Kings and Queens of Dicathen - There’s a surprise bday party for Eleanor with many guests invited. ML leads Ellie in the 1st dance and uses wind magic. - Tessia left a surprise gift for Ellie. It’s an elven bow. - ML gives Ellie and Alice the phoenix wyrm pendants. - Gideon is at the party and offers a deal to ML. He’ll be ML’s personal benefactor for any artifacts or goods ML needs. In exchange, ML will let Gideon pick his brain from time to time. - Later at ML’s request, Gideon gives ML a bracelet artifact that lets him hide 2 elemental attributes. - 12yo ML with Sylvie and Elijah start at the Academy. - Elijah is enrolled as a battle mage while ML is a scholar mage for Earth and Wind (ie dual-elemental mage). - Virion and Cynthia are close friends. Tessia is Cynthia’s disciple. - 13yo Tessia is the student council president. Lilia is the secretary. - There are issues of racial discrimination and discrimination against scholar mages in the Academy. - The school emblem badges given to the students are artifacts that can conjure barriers around their users for sanctioned duels within the school. ML distracts a senior student from crushing a dwarf student’s arm. Tessa wrongly accuses ML of causing a fight. - Clive the student council VP grabs ML’s shoulder and gets flipped onto his ass. - Cynthia visits ML in his dorm room. He asks to be allowed to attend higher level mana theory classes on deviants. She agrees and also offers to give him a pass to observe the top upper class mages’ mock battles, and access to a private training facility. - In exchange ML will join the new disciplinary committee, which also includes Prince Curtis and Princess Kathlyn. The committee members were chosen for their strength. ML is given a customised black DC uniform. - The other disciplinary committee (DC) members: - Claire Bladeheart, 6th year battle mage and DC leader. Her uncle is Kaspian who trained her from the time she awakened. - Theodore … gravity deviant - Kai Crestless, 4th year - Doradrea Oreguard, 1st year and a dwarf - Feyrith Ivysaar III, 1st year, an elf that ML met in Elenoir. - NB: Grawder is the A-class world lion bought at the Helstea Auction House and given to Prince Curtis. - Cynthia says the student council are the shields while the DC are the swords of the Academy. The DC will be responsible for upholding peace and safety for all students, and enforcing rules in the school grounds. They will resolve and prevent disputes between students. Punishments will be enforced for troublemakers. - Elijah is shocked that Tessia is ML’s childhood friend. - ML meets up with Tessia. He gives her the S-class beast will in the mana core from the Elderwood Guardian. Now a dual-elemental mage, Tessia’s abilities are the most compatible with this beast will. - Practical Mana Manipulation class: - Geist the professor was drunk in town and had a confrontation with ML. Because of this, Geist tries to humiliate the DC members (ML, Kathlyn, Feyrith) in his class. - ML saves Kathlyn from getting seriously injured by Geist’s attack. Then ML completely overpowers Geist. - Later Cynthia asks ML to be the acting interim professor position for the mana prac class. An investigation was launched and Geist was dismissed. Kathlyn provided her testimony. - Cynthia thinks this is a good opportunity for ML to build his reputation. ML agrees to give it a try. - NB: Cynthia is bonded with a mana beast called Avier. - The Basics of Artificing class: - Manipulating and coding mana to objects for specific uses. - Gideon is the surprise professor for this class. - Emily Watsken 12yo who loves artificing. - She created the projection display artifact. - Team fighting mechanics (1) with Prof. Glory (A-class) - Glory tries to set up ML to fight against the other disgruntled students. Instead Curtis suggests a team mock battle with the DC members on one team. Tessia, Clive and Lucas Wykes are on the other team. - ML fights against Lucas and his fire magic. - ML innovates with his wind magic to create a thin vacuum barrier around his body that puts out the fire as it hits him. - Tessia faints due to the pain caused by the beast will assimilation from the core ML gave her. He uses his Static Void skill to give him time to get to Tessia. ML is low on mana so he uses his body to shield her while taking the full brunt of a powerful attack from Curtis who released his beast will. - ML is in a private room recovering from his injuries. - He’s visited by his family, Tessia’s family and Virion. - Virion helps Tessia to stabilise the beast will assimilation. - Tessia surprises ML by kissing him during another visit. - When ML is almost fully recovered, he’s taken to his personal training room by Cynthia and Gideon. - Tobi: Training Operator and Blast Inductor - ML’s 1st mana prac class ended well. At the start ML used his intimidating aura to get the students to behave. - He posed interesting questions to the students. - He tried to break down the preconceptions of how a conjurer vs an augmenter uses and absorbs mana. - After class, Kathlyn approaches ML and apologises for what happened with Sebastian and how her father and Curtis treated ML. - Tessia gets angry at ML when she asks him about the kiss and he doesn’t take it seriously. Later they apologise to each other. - ML admits he’s been running away rather than facing Tessia’s feelings head on. ML says he can’t have a relationship with her right now but maybe when they’re older. He kisses her on the forehead. (me: blergh) - Lucas and 2 noble lackeys, Charles and Marcois, follow and confront ML after class. Marcois starts to show odd behaviour and erratic mana fluctuations. Marcois attacks ML with abnormally strong magical capabilities. After Lucas and Charles leave, Sylvie briefly transforms into a dragon and knocks out Marcois. There are bloody symbols on Marcois’ back. - Marcois is the 2nd incident of a student leaking mana with bloody symbols engraved down their spine. Marcois later dies from excessive mana leakage of the core. Kai of the DC is acting suspicious. - Lances Alea and Bairon meet with Lance Varay. - Traces of mages not from Dicathen have been found in the deepest levels of some dungeons. Mana beasts in the beast glades / and dungeons (?) have been behaving strangely. Alea is sent on her own to investigate with her sensory magic. She discovers a huge, mutant / deviant (?) 2-headed Hades Serpent guarding a tunnel and calls for backup. 50 battle mages teleport to Alea. - The Council has banned excursions into almost all of the dungeons that Professor Glory usually takes her class, as the Lances are currently investigating the dungeons. - Professor Glory’s class go on an excursion to a low level D-class dungeon called the Widow’s Crypt. - ML, Tessia, Claire, Curtis and Lucas are in this class. - It’s strange there are no mana beasts on the 1st floor. - Glory and the class are suddenly faced with a horde of E-class mana beasts. Glory kills them herself. This is unusual behaviour for these beasts who tend to be in small groups. Glory wants to leave the dungeon. Lucas dismisses Glory’s concerns by abruptly casting his deadly fire magic to persuade the class who opt to stay and train. - As the students head off in their teams, Glory warns Lucas not to do that again or face the consequences. - The beasts keep coming despite the students’ efforts to kill them. Before the students become too exhausted, Glory orders everyone to leave. There’s a sudden explosion and 2 x B-class mana beasts appear from the bottom floor. - Glory fights these beasts that are much stronger than usual. - ML takes charge and gets Delphine, a dwarf student, to use earth magic to fill the hole from the explosion. - ML gets Curtis to focus on his beast will while ML transfer mana to him. Curtis releases his beast will to blast away the rocks that block the entrance. ML ensures all of the students escape from the dungeon (even Lucas). - A gigantic mana beast evolves from a B-class beast that ate the remains of the other one killed by Glory. - ML is forced to reveal all of his elemental abilities as he fights alongside Glory. The gigantic mana beast stabs ML’s leg with a large claw and self destructs. The massive explosion creates a deep chasm that ML falls down. - ML uses his wind magic and survives the fall. The regenerative ability from his dragon will helps ML to recover. - He walks through a waterfall and he’s shocked to see a scene of utter carnage, with dead battle mages everywhere. He finds Alea who is dying after she was blinded, her core was shattered, and her limbs were torn off. - Alea uses the last of her mana to transfer her memories of the final battle to ML before she dies. The battle mages led by Alea killed the Hades Serpent. A black-horned demon appeared and foretold of a war. He blinds and tortures Alea as she listens to the dying screams of her soldiers. - ML embraces Alea in her final moments. He makes graves for the dead then leaves with Sylvie. Through Alea's memories, ML knows there are more demons out there like the ones who attacked Sylvia. - Lucas is invited to join a secret gathering of disgruntled, racist human nobles. The masked leader offers a relationship of mutual benefit. To achieve the goal of shattering the alliance between the 3 races, the leader wants Lucas to get rid of ML. Lucas will be granted the power to do so. Tessia will be his first target. - ML returns home. While in town with his family, he comes across a strange store on his own. ML sees a black cat in the store that runs off. The store owner gives ML a small translucent orb. - ML visits the Academy and gives Cynthia the ID tag he took from Alea. Cynthia will report Alea's death to the Council. - ML goes to the training room and finds Virion with Tessia. She’s covered in vines as her beast will fights back against her body. Virion says something must’ve been wrong with the Elderwood Guardian as the beast will seems to have mutated. - The vine suddenly attack ML and go on a rampage. - The orb appears from ML’s dimension ring and flies towards the vines. The orb somehow frees Tessia from the vines and is absorbed by her body. Virion checks her core and is shocked to find her core has suddenly advanced from the light orange stage to be almost at the initial silver stage. - Virion tells ML about the founding of the 3 kingdoms. - During the beast era, the 3 races were nomadic. They were in good terms and traded with each other. Their numbers dwindled as they were hunted and killed by the mana beasts that roamed the land. - A deity descended from the sky and gave magic tools for the 3 races to overcome the mana beasts. The ancestors of the Glayder, Greysunders and Eralith royal families were given 6 artifacts. - These artifacts were bestowed upon the most powerful subjects of the royal families under a soul oath and knighting ceremony. - As the 1st Lances given the power of white core mages, the 6 artifact users were commanded to spread their newfound knowledge and powers to create the 1st generation of mages. - The mana beasts were pushed back to the area now known as the beast glades. A new era of peace and prosperity began. - Subsequent wars between the races were the result of greed. - The Lances existed in secret and were only made public recently after the discovery of a new continent. - Virion tells ML that Sylvie is a deity. - Deities are beings that are able to ascend from their mortal bodies and fully harmonise with mana. - Cynthia is attacked by a group of mages but she easily defeats them. She has the same markings on her back as they did. - ML tries to find out more info about the orb that helped Tessia. He goes to where the store was but it’s disappeared. Instead another small orb is on the ground with a note. It says to go to the west teleportation gate to know more. - ML enters the gate with Sylvie and they end up in a dimensional subspace. The black cat from the store appears and changes into human form. It’s a deity called Windsom. - The small orb was an elixir pearl that prevented Tessia’s core from exploding. The 2nd elixir pearl is for ML. - The deities refer to themselves as asuras. - Alacrya is the other continent.

Ch 39 as of 18/03/22 - it’s Asuna and Kirito! - ML is Fate Graphite - Gluttony skill: Consumes the souls of those killed, granting their stats and skills. The more ML kills, the stronger he’ll become. The stronger he gets, the more he wants to consume. If he doesn’t kill, he could lose control due to his intense hunger and attack anyone. - With this skill, ML can’t gain any XP (experience points). So he can’t level up or join any parties as his level remains low. - Starvation boost: (temporary) - Night vision activated through reddened eyes - Paralyse with fear anyone with lower stats (status points) - Ability to detect prey through smell - FL is Roxy Heart, a holy knight and a noble - Her father, Duke Mayson Heart died recently while fighting the dragons and monsters in Galia. - Aisha Heart, FL’s mother who was a commoner. Her body seems weak and frail. She lives outside of the main estate, in a mansion on Heart territory. Seyfert the capital city: - ML has been working as a gatekeeper under House Brerick. - He’s constantly abused and tormented by Rafale Brerick, a holy knight and his siblings. - After ML reported robbers to FL, he managed to kill one that was badly injured and escaping. ML increased his stats and gained the skills of Mind reading and Appraisal. - ML accepts FL’s offer to work under House Heart. - ML buys a black sword that was treated like trash, just like ML. He can hear the sword’s voice. It’s called Greed. - ML kills goblins and gains the skills Strength and Stamina reinforcement. His stats increase considerably. ML earns money from killing goblins and buys new clothes. - ML saves an orphan girl who was kidnapped under orders from Chad Brerick. ML gains the skills Concealment, One-handed sword, and Art-sharp edge. - ML works at the Heart estate by day, and goes hunting at night. - ML fights hobgoblins and defeats the goblin king. His added stats are huge and he’s gained the skills Auto recovery and 2-handed sword. ML gave the goblin king’s ear as a secret donation to the orphanage. - ML has enough stats to release Greed’s 1st form, a large black bow. Any subsequent forms will require even greater stats to be sacrificed. In this way, ML and Greed can grow stronger together. - ML is in town with FL, and he buys a skull mask that has the ability to conceal one’s identity. ML buys a gem stone for FL. They help a lost boy find his mother. - FL takes ML with her to visit the family territory, help with the harvest, and ward off monsters. She visits her mother. - At night ML secretly hunts the kobolds before they invade the territory. He gains the skills of Close combat, Vitality and Agility reinforcement. - ML learns FL will be sent to Galia soon. It was proposed by House Brerick and the other nobles supported it. - Chad Brerick was sent to find the monster that was killing all of the goblins. In half starvation mode, ML kills his men then reveals his true identity before killing Chad. ML gains the Holy sword art: Grand cross. - Greed’s 2nd form is a large black scythe. - FL departs for Galia. ML also leaves soon after to follow her and secretly support her. He arrives in the southern city of Tetra. - ML’s hometown is nearby. His mother died when he was born. - His father had a spear skill and protected the village from monsters. 5yrs ago his father died from an illness. Seen as a useless orphan, ML was banished by the village chief and driven away by the villagers. - ML agrees to help Seto, the village chief’s son. Seto changed for the better after the birth of his daughter. His wife was killed by the gargoyles terrorising the village. - At night the gargoyles return and use fire bullets to fight ML, which decimate the village. ML protects Seto’s house and kills the gargoyles. Seto decides to leave with his daughter. ML gains the Fire bullet skill. - As ML continues on his travels, he’s joined by a Galian girl called Myne the Wrath. She also owns a Deadly Sins weapon called Sloth, a huge axe. - They arrive at a town governed by a holy knight. - Travellers are segregated from the residents and there’s a strict social class system using tattoos. - ML hunts sandmen at night. He saves a large group of mercenaries from the boss monster. ML gains the Sand / dust magic skill. - Aaron Barbatos, an old holy knight, a swordmaster and the village chief. His wife and son were killed by monsters while he was away fighting in Galia. - At the next village, ML is challenged for a duel by Aaron. Although ML lost, Aaron allows ML and Myne to stay in the village on the condition ML trains under Aaron. - ML and Aaron go to the nearby castle to destroy the undead monsters there. That castle used to be Aaron’s. - ML faces the Lich boss monster while Aaron subdues his family and servants. Together they use Grand cross and defeat the Lich which frees the souls of Aaron’s people. Then they work to clear out the rest of the undead from the castle. - ML promises Aaron to return on his way back. - ML and Myne defeat a group of orcs when they arrive in Galia. - The dragons and monsters destroyed Galia 4000yrs ago. - Myne takes ML to her birthplace to fight a giant chimera called Haniel. A human sacrifice was used as the core to create Haniel. Myne needs ML’s skill to consume the soul to prevent Haniel from regenerating. ML draws on half starvation mode himself and sacrifices more stats to Greed in order to defeat Haniel. - Greed’s 3rd form as a black shield is released. - ML saw the memories of the human sacrifice and discovers she was someone that Myne knew. ML asks Myne to kill him if he succumbs to a total berserk state. - Babylon the defence city: a garrison town in Galia. - ML meets Elise who has the Lust skill. - Elise says FL needs to die in order for more people with special powers to be born. Elise is just a bystander but others will be out to harm FL. - Now on his own, the masked ML killed orcs for money to pay for new equipment. He saves FL’s camp when they’re attacked by 4 giant fire salamander monsters. He travels with them until they reach the Great Valley. - FL’s group are attacked by 3 giant prototype chimeras with monsters used as their cores. The masked ML helps to defeat the chimeras but he, FL and the last chimera fall down a deep hole. - ML finds the badly injured chimera and destroys its core. - ML notices the same strange markings on the chimera as on the salamanders. ML and FL safely find their way out. - A horde of monsters advances towards Babylon. - The royal army led by FL ride out to meet them. - Greed senses a large monster underground. ML discovers it’s a giant slime that uses corrosive magic. ML destroys its core and gains its magic skill. ML is faced by multiple slimes created from the Deadly Sin weapon used by a masked man who suddenly appears. The weapon is a black bayonet called Envy. - While fighting, ML destroys the man’s mask to reveal Alistair Northern. He’s a holy knight under FL. His family have been defending Babylon for generations. - Alistair uses a whistle to call forth a celestial dragon. - ML gets over to the royal army and uses the black shield to block the blast from the dragon. ML’s mask is destroyed and reveals his true identity to FL. - Alistair is perched on the dragon’s head. ML immobilises the dragon using a variation of Grand cross. ML sacrifices his left arm to defeat Alistair using illusion magic. The dragon breaks free and ML has a colossal battle that carves another valley across the land. - With the dragon defeated, ML gives over most of his stats to activate Greed’s 4th form (a black spear) and also stop ML from being completely consumed by his gluttony skill. - Myne arrives to kill ML but is stopped by FL. - ML recovers back in Babylon and is unconscious for a week. - ML is taken away by Elise and Myne to restore his arm. - For a month ML is forced to go on large scale hunting raids in Galia to exponentially increase his stats and his proficiency in using the secret arts of Greed. He restores his arm using Greed’s 4th form secret art: Twilight healing. It can cure any injury or disease. - ML and Myne return to see Aaron. Construction has started around the castle and they help with the rebuilding. - ML agrees to be adopted by Aaron and become his noble family successor. ML’s name changes to Fate Barbatos. - ML, Aaron and Myne travel together to the capital. - On the way, ML stops by the Heart territory and uses his healing skill to completely cure Aisha. - Aaron and ML go to the royal palace for an audience with the king. There are many holy knights present. Aaron introduces ML as his heir and the killer of the celestial dragon. - The holy knights scoff and mock ML. Rudolph Lanchester challenges ML to a sword fight. Rudolph loses his eyes to ML, then he is killed by the king’s personal White Knights. - The king gives permission to ML for powerless people in the capital to be accepted into his territory. - The neglected Barbatos residence in the capital is next door to the Heart estate. - ML is notified by the nun from a church in the slums that powerless people have disappeared after going to the military district. The Brerick family invested in the church under the condition that people from the slums came to work for them at night. This time no one returned except for one who managed to escape and said the others were killed. - ML infiltrates the Brerick research facility inside the military district. He discovers mutant goblins are being fed the remains of the poor people. He finds Memil Brerick drugged and unconscious. When he tries to leave, he’s faced with the mutant goblins. - Greed identifies the monsters as nightwalkers. They’re corpses that move from tethered souls and are poison to the gluttony skill if ML kills them. Nightwalkers can infect others when bitten or scratched. - ML enters a lab room full of specimens in containers. ML sees Chad Brerick who opens his eyes and attacks ML. Chad is a nightwalker after being restored using monster parts. - Aaron suddenly appears to help ML. While fighting Chad, they find another room full of women in containers. Aaron recognises one as Lina Brerick who died over 10yrs ago. - Rafale arrives and says Lina was his mother who was abandoned by his father because she was a powerless commoner. His younger siblings were born from another woman. - The nightwalkers were created using Rafale’s blood, which is why he can control them. Rafale used Memil as his backup blood supply. When Rafale is injured or killed, the nightwalkers are also affected. - Rafale has Vanity the black spear, a Deadly Sins prototype weapon. It doesn’t have a heart like Greed. It requires the blood of the user to activate its power. - Rafale’s body is possessed by an undead archdemon. He opens rifts using dark magic to allow dark matter to enter and explode. - Elise arrives with the White Knights and holding Envy. She reveals her true identity as the ruler of this kingdom. She sends Aaron and the knights away to evacuate the city. - Myne appears when a massive rift is created. She closes it using Sloth and brings down the archdemon as well. - ML uses Greed to separate Rafale and Shin, the one possessing him. Myne has been pursuing Shin and they both disappear. - Elise explains to ML that long ago she and Envy established the kingdom and ruled together. They parted ways after an argument with Elise travelling to achieve her goals and Envy left to rule using a proxy body. - After an investigation into the research facility, the Brerick family are punished. They’re stripped of their title, expelled from the holy knights, and their properties seized. - Aaron is bringing Memil into the household as a maid. - ML and Aaron visit FL at her home. Aisha makes a surprise appearance.