Copyright Solo Leveling II CHUGONG Translation by Hye Young Im and J. Torres This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental. SOLO LEVELING Volume 2 © Chugong 2017 / D&C MEDIA All rights reserved. First published in Korea in 2017 by D&C MEDIA Co., Ltd. English translation © 2021 by Yen Press, LLC Yen Press, LLC supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact the publisher. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights. Yen On 150 West 30th Street, 19th Floor, New York, NY 10001 Visit us at yenpress.com facebook.com/yenpress twitter.com/yenpress yenpress.tumblr.com instagram.com/yenpress First Yen On Edition: June 2021 Yen On is an imprint of Yen Press, LLC. The Yen On name and logo are trademarks of Yen Press, LLC. The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Chugong, author. | Im, Hye Young, translator. | Torres, J., 1969– translator. Title: Solo leveling / Chugong ; translation by Hye Young Im and J. Torres. Other titles: Na honjaman rebereop. English Description: First Yen On edition. | New York, NY : Yen On, 2021. Identifiers: LCCN 2020047938 | ISBN 9781975319274 (v. 1 ; trade paperback) | ISBN 9781975319298 (v. 2 ; trade paperback) Subjects: GSAFD: Fantasy fiction. Classification: LCC PL994.215.G66 N313 2021 | DDC 895.73/5—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020047938 ISBNs: 978-1-97531929-8 (paperback) 978-1-9753-1930-4 (ebook) E3-20210519-JV-NF-ORI CONTENTS Cover Title Page Copyright 1. The Potential Jackpot 2. Igris the Bloodred 3. Quest Results 4. Shadow Monarch 5. The Plucky High School Girl 6. The Red Gate 7. Ice-Slayer Hunting 8. Either a Human or Magic Beast 9. A Smooth Start 10. Avaricious Vulcan Yen Newsletter 1 THE POTENTIAL JACKPOT Jinho’s squad had a total of two dungeons scheduled on this day, and there was quite a distance between them. Sangmin and Kichul kept in frequent contact as each waited at a dungeon for the squad to arrive in order to confirm with their own eyes if their hunch was correct. …It’s still pretty chilly. Sangmin bought a cup of coffee from a nearby vending machine. He’d been waiting for Jinho’s team for an hour now, but his anticipation was somehow beating out his boredom. It’d been a while since his heart had raced this fast. If I’m right, he’s the first super-rookie to come along in ages—and an S rank to boot! Sangmin had secured the title of department manager at a young age, and it was all thanks to his intuition. In fact, he had played a large role in raising White Tiger to its current status as a prominent guild. That same intuition was now telling him that Jinwoo Sung might be able to take the White Tiger Guild to the next level. People will think I’ve gone insane if I say that, though… After all, according to his records, Jinwoo was still officially an E-rank hunter. Things weren’t always what they appeared to be, though, and Sangmin wouldn’t have been who he was today if that wasn’t true. He was watching the gate with the eyes of a hawk when… Riiing, riiing! It was a call from Kichul. “Hey, Kichul.” “Sir, Jinho Yoo’s squad just arrived.” “Okay. Stay calm and keep an eye on them, then report back their every move.” “Yes, sir. Wait. Huh? M-Manager An!” The voice on the other end of the line sounded odd. Did that idiot get caught? Sangmin started feeling anxious. “What’s wrong? Talk to me.” “You were right, sir!” “What?” His heart beat faster. “Only two people, Jinho and Jinwoo, are entering the gate.” “Of course, since this is all a test for Jinwoo.” As expected, Sangmin’s hunch was spot-on. His intuition had never failed him when it came to situations like this. Nice! He pumped his fist. While you guys take your sweet time, the White Tiger Guild can make a move. Jinwoo Sung will be ours. Because that’s how Sangmin An and the second administration team rolled. While Sangmin was distracted by his daydreams of victory, Kichul’s voice continued spilling through the phone. “So what should I do now, sir? Should I join you?” “No, keep monitoring them.” “Pardon? But we’ve already confirmed your suspicions.” “I’m curious about their clear time. I’d like to know how many hours it’ll take them to clear a C-rank dungeon.” “Even A-rank hunters need more than a couple of hours if they go in by themselves, don’t they?” “Do you have something better to do?” “Of course not, sir. I just thought you might get bored by yourself, so I thought I’d ask.” That was why Sangmin liked Kichul—he had a lightning-quick ability to adapt to situations. “Don’t worry about me and keep your eyes peeled for when they leave the dungeon.” “Understood.” “I’ll have my phone with me at all times, so call me right away if something happens.” “Yes, sir.” After Sangmin finished relaying his orders and hung up, he suddenly realized just how hungry he was. Rrrumble… Guess I was too focused on work…… He’d been so preoccupied with waiting for Jinwoo that he hadn’t eaten all day, and it was already past lunchtime. He hadn’t been able to leave his position because he’d had no idea when Jinho’s squad would arrive. Now that he could relax, he looked around for a place to eat before heading into a convenience store. It’s not like I’m trying to save money, but…… Even though there wasn’t anyone around to judge him, he felt uncomfortable dining in a restaurant alone. After some deliberation, he decided on instant ramen from the store. He poured hot water into the ramen container and waited three minutes for everything to cook. He’d just snapped his wooden chopsticks apart when… Riiing! “Oh, for… Who the hell’s calling me when I’m trying to eat?” A familiar name lit up his phone screen. Second-in-command Damn you, Kichul…… Sangmin took the call and snapped, “You couldn’t wait to call me again?” “I’m sorry, sir, but—” “But what? If you called me for nothing, you’re eating instant ramen for lunch for a week!” “Sir, they’ve exited the gate!” Sangmin, who at that moment had raised some noodles to his mouth, froze like a video on pause. “What?” “Jinho and Jinwoo exited the dungeon, and the squad is now getting ready to leave!” He hadn’t misheard anything. He rushed to check the time. “It’s only been thirty minutes! Did they give up on the raid?” “No, the gate is closing.” None of this made any sense! Despite the different levels of difficulty among C-rank dungeons, it wasn’t possible for a single person to clear a dungeon in thirty minutes. “Check again! Are you sure the gate is closing?” “Yes, I’m sure. Would you like me to send you a video?” “…No, that’s fine.”