Solo Leveling: Monarch of Light

The beeping of machines and the faint scent of antiseptic filled the air as Kim Suho's eyelids fluttered open. The world around him was a blur, but the sterile white of a hospital room was unmistakable.

"Where…?" Suho muttered, his voice raspy. His body felt sore, as though he had been dragged through a battlefield. Memories of the dungeon flashed in his mind—the statues, the glowing slab, the blinding light. His heart raced as he remembered the chaos and Sung Jin-Woo standing beside him.

"You're awake," a soft voice said. A nurse in her late twenties stood by his bedside, adjusting the IV drip attached to his arm. She had a kind face, her smile gentle and reassuring.

"Where am I?" Suho asked, struggling to sit up.

"Easy there," she said, placing a hand on his shoulder to ease him back down. "You're in the hospital. You were found unconscious with the others after the dungeon collapse. It's a miracle you survived."

Suho's chest tightened. "The others? Sung Jin-Woo—how is he? Did he make it?"

The nurse hesitated, her expression faltering. "He's… alive. But he hasn't woken up yet. The doctors are doing everything they can."

Suho exhaled, relief washing over him despite the lingering worry. At least Jin-Woo was still alive.

"Kim Suho, right?"

Suho turned his head to see Woo Jin-Chul, the sharp-eyed investigator from the Hunter's Association, standing at the door. His suit was immaculate despite the tension etched into his features.

"That's me," Suho replied, his voice steadier now.

Woo Jin-Chul stepped into the room, his clipboard tucked under one arm. "I need to ask you a few questions about what happened in the dungeon."

"Sure, but…" Suho gestured weakly around him. "Do I have to do this now? I just woke up."

"I understand, but the incident was highly unusual. We need to gather as much information as possible," Jin-Chul explained. He pulled up a chair and sat by Suho's bedside.

Suho sighed. "Alright. What do you want to know?"

Jin-Chul flipped through his notes. "You and Sung Jin-Woo were found together, the only survivors of the double dungeon. Can you tell me what happened after the main party fell?"

Suho's gaze dropped to his hands. "It was chaos. The statues were relentless. We followed the commandments, but even then… people kept dying. When the slab demanded a sacrifice, I volunteered. But Jin-Woo wouldn't let me go alone. We both stayed behind."

"And then?" Jin-Chul pressed.

"There was a flash of blinding light—. It felt like… something entered me. Something powerful." Suho hesitated, his brows furrowed. "But after that, I blacked out. I don't remember anything else."

Jin-Chul scribbled notes before looking up. "You said something entered you. Can you elaborate?"

Suho shook his head. "I wish I could, but it's hard to explain. It felt like a presence. Warm, yet overwhelming."

Before Jin-Chul could ask another question, the nurse returned with a clipboard of her own. "Sorry to interrupt, but it's time for Mr. Kim's mana retest."

"Mana retest?" Suho echoed.

"Standard procedure," Jin-Chul explained. "Anyone who survives an incident like that gets reevaluated. Just a precaution."

The nurse helped Suho out of bed and into a wheelchair, much to his annoyance. "I can walk, you know," he said, though his legs wobbled when he tried to stand.

"Sure you can," the nurse replied with a teasing smile. "Humor me, alright?"

As they wheeled him into the testing room, Suho's thoughts drifted to Jin-Woo. He wondered if his friend would undergo the same tests when he woke up.

---

The testing room was a small, sterile space with a single device in the center. The mana measuring device looked like an oversized cylinder with glowing runes etched along its surface. A technician greeted them with a nod, motioning for Suho to place his hand on the device.

"Ready?" the technician asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Suho replied, his hand trembling slightly as he placed it on the cold surface.

The machine whirred to life, its runes glowing brighter as it scanned him. Suho held his breath, his heart pounding in his chest.

After a few moments, the machine beeped, and the technician's eyes widened slightly as he read the results.

"Well?" Suho asked, his nerves fraying.

"Your mana levels are consistent with an E-rank hunter," the technician said.

Suho blinked. "E-rank? Still?"

Woo Jin-Chul, who had been observing from the corner, frowned. "That's… unexpected. Surviving a double dungeon usually results in a rank increase."

"Tell me about it," Suho muttered, pulling his hand back. "I went through hell, and I'm still an E-rank? Talk about a bad joke."

The nurse patted his shoulder. "Hey, at least you're alive. That's what matters, right?"

"Yeah, I guess," Suho said, though his frustration was evident.

As they prepared to leave the room, Suho suddenly noticed a blue panel floating in front of him

"What the…?" Suho whispered, his breathing ragged.

"Mr. Kim, are you alright?" Jin-Chul asked, stepping forward.

"I-I'm fine," Suho lied, shaking his head as the voice faded.

He looked at the blue panel in curiosity before shrugging and decided to see it later since everyone seems oblivious about it as if it didn't exist at all

---

Back in his hospital room, Suho sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the floor. The nurse had checked on him several times, offering water and snacks, but he barely touched them. His thoughts were consumed by the voice he had heard and the strange light that had enveloped him.

As he tried to make sense of it all, a translucent blue screen suddenly appeared before him, hovering in midair.

With his breath hitching. He reached out to touch the screen, and it reacted to his movements, shifting slightly as his fingers brushed against it.

"What… is this?" he murmured.

The screen displayed a series of messages:

[Your journey begins now.]

[Quest: ??? Monarchs. Reward: ???]

"Monarchs? What the hell is going on?" Suho muttered, his mind racing.

Just as he was contemplating. The door to his room opened, and Jin-Chul stepped in. "I wanted to check on you before I left. You looked a bit shaken earlier."

Suho quickly dismissed the screen, unsure if anyone else could see it. "I'm fine. Just… tired."

Jin-Chul studied him for a moment before nodding. "If you remember anything else about the dungeon, let me know. And if you notice any… unusual changes, report them immediately."

"Unusual changes, huh?" Suho said with a weak laugh. "What, like glowing hands and mysterious voices?"

Jin-Chul raised an eyebrow. "Glowing hands?"

"Nothing," Suho said quickly. "Forget I said anything."

The investigator gave him a skeptical look but didn't press further. "Get some rest, Kim Suho. Something tells me your journey is far from over."

As Jin-Chul left, Suho leaned back against the pillows, his thoughts a whirlwind of questions and possibilities. Whatever had happened in that dungeon, it had changed him. And for better or worse, there was no going back.

---

Suho's fingers fidgeted against the coarse blanket draped over his legs. The hospital room felt suffocatingly quiet after Jin-Chul's departure, but his mind refused to settle. His thoughts kept drifting back to the translucent blue screen that had appeared before him, as if taunting him with its cryptic messages.

"Monarchs? A system? What the hell did I get myself into?" he muttered to himself.

He glanced at his hands, the memory of their faint golden glow still fresh in his mind. Whatever this "system" was, it didn't feel normal. Suho had read enough about hunters who experienced secondary awakenings to know the signs, but this… this was different.

A knock at the door broke his train of thought. The nurse from earlier peeked inside, her expression kind but curious. "Mr. Kim? Are you sure you don't want anything to eat? You haven't touched your dinner."

Suho shook his head. "I'm not hungry, but thanks."

The nurse hesitated for a moment, then stepped inside with a tray. "You've been through a lot. Even if you're not hungry, you should try to eat something. Your body needs the energy to recover." She placed the tray on the bedside table and gave him a soft smile.

"Thanks, but I really—"

"Just try the soup," she insisted, cutting him off with a firm but gentle tone. "If you don't, I'll have to call the doctor, and trust me, he's not as nice as I am."

Suho chuckled weakly, the smallest of smiles tugging at his lips. "Alright, alright. You win."

As the nurse busied herself with checking his vitals, Suho stared at the bowl of soup. It smelled comforting, a simple chicken broth that reminded him of home. Slowly, he picked up the spoon and began eating, the warmth spreading through him in more ways than one.

"See? Not so bad," the nurse said with a wink.

"Yeah. Thanks," Suho replied, genuinely appreciating her concern.

Before she could respond, the door opened again, and Woo Jin-Chul reentered, his expression unreadable.

"Already back?" Suho asked, setting the spoon down.

"I was about to leave, but something came up," Jin-Chul said, his tone serious. He held up a tablet displaying Suho's mana test results. "This… doesn't add up."

Suho frowned. "What do you mean? You said I'm E-rank. What's there to add up?"

Jin-Chul placed the tablet on the bedside table, tapping on the screen to bring up a detailed graph. "Your mana levels are consistent with an E-rank hunter, yes, but the fluctuations during the test were unusual. It's as if something was suppressing your mana output."

"Suppressing?" Suho repeated, his stomach twisting.

"Yes," Jin-Chul confirmed. "In all my years of dealing with hunters, I've never seen a result like this. It's almost like your mana is… dormant. Or restrained."

The words hit Suho like a freight train. The system, the glowing hands, the voice—it all started to piece together.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Suho lied, his voice steady despite the storm raging in his mind.

Jin-Chul narrowed his eyes, clearly unconvinced. "If there's something you're not telling me, now's the time, Kim Suho. The Association can help you, but only if we know what we're dealing with."

"I don't know anything," Suho insisted, meeting Jin-Chul's gaze.

After a tense moment, Jin-Chul sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Fine. But if you experience anything—anything—unusual, you call me immediately." He pulled out a card and placed it on the bedside table.

Suho nodded, his grip tightening on the blanket. "Got it."

Jin-Chul left without another word, leaving Suho alone with his thoughts once more.

---

Hours passed, and the hospital grew quieter as the night deepened. The soft hum of machines was the only sound accompanying Suho's restless mind. He stared at the ceiling, his body too wired to sleep despite the day's exhaustion.

Then, the screen appeared again.

[System Notice: Daily Quest Available]

[Quest: Begin Physical Rehabilitation]

[Objective: Perform 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, and 100 squats, 10 K/M Run ]

[Time Limit: 2 hours.]

[Reward: Recovery Boost, +1 Strength, +1 Stamina, +1 Mana]

[Additional Notice: Failure of completing the quest will result in a Penalty]

Suho sat up, his heart racing. "What kind of system gives out quests like this?"

The screen stayed silent, its message unwavering. Despite the absurdity of it all, Suho couldn't shake the feeling that ignoring it would be a mistake.

With a groan, he swung his legs over the side of the bed. His muscles protested, the soreness from the dungeon incident still fresh, but he forced himself to stand.

"Push-ups, sit-ups, squats… and even a 10 K/m run? What's more" he muttered, though his body already felt heavy.

He dropped to the floor and began his push-ups, his arms trembling with each movement. By the tenth one, his breathing grew labored, but the screen's presence seemed to spur him on.

"Come on, Suho. You've been through worse," he told himself.

The sit-ups came next, each one tugging at his core like a dull ache. Sweat dripped down his forehead as he pushed through the motions, his determination overriding the pain.

Finally, he moved on to squats, his legs burning with every rise and fall. By the time he finished, he was gasping for air, his body trembling from the exertion.

When it came to the 10 K/m run, although the nurses objected it. But considering he is a hunter, he was given permission with Notice

After finishing the quest the screen flashed again.

[Quest Complete.]

[Rewards Granted: Recovery Boost, +1 Strength, +1 Stamina, +1 Vitality]

As the words faded, Suho felt a surge of warmth spread through his body. The soreness in his muscles eased, replaced by a strange sense of vitality.

"What… is this?" he whispered, staring at his hands.

The system didn't respond, but Suho didn't need an answer. Whatever this power was, it had chosen him for a reason. And as he sat back on the bed, his heart still racing, he realized one thing: his life would never be the same.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Heroines Choice: (Only One)

Cha Hae-in

Sung Jin-ah

Inserts: (I don't know)

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