The smell of stale ramen and cheap linoleum was the first thing that hit me. It was a far cry from the metallic tang of blood and the sterile scent of a hospital I expected.
I sat up, my heart hammering against ribs that felt far too thin. In front of me, a cracked television screen flickered with the face of a news anchor.
"...as we celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Great Peace, the Hunter Association reminds all citizens that the 'Gate Era' is firmly behind us. Under the guidance of the Sung Su-Ho Foundation, Seoul remains the safest city in—"
Click.
I stared at my hands. They were trembling.
'This is insane,' I thought, my mind racing through the thousands of pages I had devoured over the years. 'I'm not in my room. I'm not even in my own body.'
I looked at the small, dusty mirror propped up on a desk cluttered with "E-Rank Recruit" application forms. A pale face stared back—shaggy black hair falling over sharp eyes. My left eye pulsed with a faint, rhythmic dark purple glow.
[Warning: A 'Reader' has been detected in the Narrative.]
[Syncing Soul... 100% Complete.]
[Current Vessel: Kang Han-Seol]
[Rank: E]
[Mana: 0.00]
A dry, slightly hysterical laugh escaped my throat. "Zero mana? I'm basically a civilian with a title."
'Wait,' I thought, squinting at the messy blue window that flickered like a broken neon sign. 'This doesn't look like the golden, divine interfaces the Monarchs used.'
[Unique Skill: 'Reader's Interference' (Rank: EX) is active.]
[Information Bank: 'The Solo Leveling Archive' fully accessible.]
Chapter 1: The Spoiler in the System
The smell of stale ramen and cheap linoleum was the first thing that hit me. It was a far cry from the metallic tang of blood and the sterile scent of a hospital I expected.
I sat up, my heart hammering against ribs that felt far too thin. In front of me, a cracked television screen flickered with the face of a news anchor.
"...as we celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Great Peace, the Hunter Association reminds all citizens that the 'Gate Era' is firmly behind us. Under the guidance of the Sung Su-Ho Foundation, Seoul remains the safest city in—"
Click.
I stared at my hands. They were trembling.
'This is insane,' I thought, my mind racing through the thousands of pages I had devoured over the years. 'I'm not in my room. I'm not even in my own body.'
I looked at the small, dusty mirror propped up on a desk cluttered with "E-Rank Recruit" application forms. A pale face stared back—shaggy black hair falling over sharp eyes. My left eye pulsed with a faint, rhythmic dark purple glow.
[Warning: A 'Reader' has been detected in the Narrative.] [Syncing Soul... 100% Complete.] [Current Vessel: Kang Han-Seol] [Rank: E] [Mana: 0.00]
A dry, slightly hysterical laugh escaped my throat. "Zero mana? I'm basically a civilian with a title".
'Wait,' I thought, squinting at the messy blue window that flickered like a broken neon sign. 'This doesn't look like the golden, divine interfaces the Monarchs used.'
[Unique Skill: 'Reader's Interference' (Rank: EX) is active.] [Information Bank: 'The Solo Leveling Archive' fully accessible.]
'99.9%? Those are the best odds I've had all day,' I thought, a sharp smirk crossing my face.
I knew exactly what was behind those yellow "Caution" tapes downtown. It was a Star-Rank Gate that wasn't supposed to open for another six months. And inside? The first member of my "New Legend" was currently trapped, waiting for a hero who wasn't coming.
'It's funny, really,' I thought, my lungs already beginning to sting as I scrambled to get ready. 'Most people get hit by a truck or save a girl from a burning building to get isekaied. Me? I died because I was too busy crying over the final side-story chapter of Solo Leveling to notice an open manhole cover'.
One minute I was sobbing over Sung Jin-Woo's reunion with his father, and the next, I was plummeting into the Seoul sewer system. I didn't even get to write my five-star review before the darkness took me.
'Talk about a meaningless death,' I thought, grabbing a black hoodie and a cheap utility knife. 'But hey, if the Universe wanted to punish me for being a professional fanboy, it picked the wrong world. I didn't just read this story; I memorized every "Hidden Requirement" and "System Error" the author ever typed.'
I checked my reflection one last time. One eye was normal, but the other pulsed with that dark purple aura, reflecting my new "Legacy System".
"I'm an E-Rank nobody who should die if a goblin sneezes on me," I whispered, heading for the door. "But I have the most knowledge in this universe. And I'm about to use every single spoiler to make sure I don't just survive—I thrive".
"Sorry, destiny," I whispered, pulling my hoodie tight. "I'm cutting in line".
Before heading to the construction site, I had to stop at "Gwan's Armory." In the novel, this shop was a joke—a place for E-Ranks to buy overpriced scrap metal. But I knew the owner, an old drunk named Gwan, was actually a retired Master Smith who had "misplaced" a prototype from the Association's R&D department.
I walked into the shop, the bell chiming weakly. The air smelled of oil and disappointment.
'If I'm going to survive the First Leak, I need more than a utility knife,' I thought, my eyes scanning the racks of dull swords and rusted spears. 'I need something that can actually pierce a Star-Rank hide.'
"Whatcha want, kid? If you're looking for a discount, the door is behind you," a gravelly voice barked from behind a stack of shields.
I didn't look at the swords. I walked straight to a dusty glass case in the back, filled with "decorative" daggers.
"I want the twin blades at the bottom," I said, pointing to a pair of sleek, jet-black daggers with serrated edges. "The ones you labeled as 'failed experiments' because they wouldn't conduct mana."
Gwan snorted, stepping out. "Those? They're trash. They're too heavy and the metal is dead. You couldn't even light a candle with 'em."
I smirked. 'Dead metal? No. It's Void-Iron. It doesn't conduct mana because it consumes it.'
"I like the weight," I lied, my left eye pulsing with that dark purple aura. "And I'm an E-Rank. I don't have mana to conduct anyway."
I threw my last remaining credits on the counter. It was a daylight robbery—for me. In the "Archive" in my head, these blades were the early prototypes for the "Monarch's Fang" series. They weren't just like Sung Jin-Woo's daggers; they were the refined version.
'With these, I don't need to be strong,' I thought, feeling the cold weight of the hilts in my hands. 'I just need to be fast enough to let the daggers do the eating.'
"Enjoy your paperweights," Gwan muttered, returning to his drink.
I stepped back out into the night, the daggers hidden beneath my black hoodie.
'Next stop: The Construction Site,' I thought, checking the flickering blue screen. 'If the girl is already dead by the time I get there, that's just one less character to worry about. But if she's alive... she's going to be my first shield.'
The dark purple glow in my eye flared as I reached the yellow tape of the restricted zone.
[Narrative Event: 'The First Leak' — 2 Minutes Remaining.] [Warning: Boss 'Gatekeeper' is awakening.]
"Let's see if this 'Survival Guide' actually works," I whispered, stepping into the darkness.