Only I Level Up

나 혼자만 레벨업 [Na Honjaman Level Up] (8 Volumes Novel) #1-8

by Chugong

In this world where Hunters with various magical powers battle monsters from invading the defenseless humanity, Seong Jin-Woo was the weakest of all the Hunters, barely able to make a living.
However, a mysterious System grants him the power of the ‘Player’, setting him on a course for an incredible and often times perilous Journey.
Follow Sang Jin-Woo as he embarks on an adventure to become an unparalleled existence through his “Level-Up” system - the only one in the entire world!

Genres: Light Novel, Fantasy, Manga, Novels, Action, Fiction

2000 pages, Web novel

First published January 1, 2019

About the author

추공

Reviews

[Magnus Byrne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty fun read, very cliche, power fantasy, almost isekai novel, but still quite fun when it dealt with some of it's tropes. Has a fair amount of action, but the author can be overly descriptive at times, leading to certain sections dragging much more than they needed to.
The core premise however, is quite engaging, basically follows an mmo progression, where the main character level up and gets stronger throughout, fighting stronger and stronger monsters until they fight them all, and you'll have to read it to find out more, but I'd definitely recommend it.

[H Rez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read, I'm definitely glad I got to it after it's finished so bingeing was possible.
The ending arc wasn't as gripping for me as the rest of the novel, but the ending was satisfying nonetheless.

[Carlos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the characters and the story. The ending lacked details that I would love to know of how the Monarchs fought between dimensions, that could probably be another story.

[Steven McEvilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the first none native English novels I ever read and also one of the best stories I've ever seen. The story was great and the ending made it even more satisfying having seen so much after the end of the story and getting closure with each character ever introduced

[Helena Coruja Fischer · Rating 2 out of 5]

(Esta nota foi feita cinco anos após a leitura da webnovel completa)

Solo Leveling foi uma das primeiras webnovels que li. Posso garantir que me manteve entretida pelo seu ritmo acelerado e pela clássica fantasia de self-fulfillment onde um protagonista comum se torna reconhecido e poderoso. Porém não deve ser lido esperando algo mais complexo do que isso.

A trama é simples e, apesar de ter ajudado muito a popularizar o conceito de gates/dungeons, hunters e sistemas (LitRPG), não foi ou é original e também não se destaca em seu uso. Com exceção de Sung Jin-Woo — que, convenhamos, teve apenas uma mudança física —, poucos personagens têm desenvolvimento ou relevância marcante.

Eu normalmente não me considero tão crítica quanto ao que leio, porém o final da história é como um soco na cara de qualquer leitor. Ter umas das poucas consequências sérias da história simplesmente apagadas é de nível tão absurdo quanto exasperante. Já era difícil aceitar que Jin-Woo desfizesse as mortes com um único desejo, mas compreensível — especialmente por se tratar de um dilema em que, ao salvar todos, ele seria esquecido. Entretanto até isso é anulado ao fazer as memórias de quem ele interage lentamente voltarem. Eu não me conectei com os personagens o suficiente para perdoar esse nível de desilusão no final feliz.

Minhas lembranças negativas da história me impactaram mais do que as partes positivas, o que torna estranho dizer que, no fim, não me arrependo de ter lido. Foi uma introdução leve ao universo de webnovels coreanas e seus clichês, ajudando-me a entender melhor suas influências. Os poderes de necromancia também foram um aspecto divertido, especialmente através do personagem Igris.

Ainda não posso comentar sobre a animação, mas essa mídia certamente se beneficia muito da arte espetacular presente na adaptação para manhwa. Para mim, essa continua sendo a melhor forma de consumir essa história.

[Anju · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the first system and portal from which other worldy being invade-type novels I read, so it wasn't quite cliche as it is now. And with how popular it became, and the wave of similiar stories that now exist, there's a reason why this is one of my favourites.
The characters are likable, the plot is interesting and I've read the whole thing twice, read the webtoon a few times and watched Season 1 of the anime so far too. I'll probably read it again soon, just to refresh parts of the arcs that I particularly liked.

[mei · Rating 5 out of 5]

an absolute masterpiece !!!

grew so attached to the characters (especially beru lol even though i really hate bugs). whilst the story felt a bit rushed at the end, the crazy amount of epilogue chapters made up for it - so so good and super wholesome

can’t wait to see how the manhwa will adapt the final parts of the story !!!

[mei · Rating 5 out of 5]

an absolute masterpiece !!!

grew so attached to the characters (especially beru lol even though i really hate bugs). whilst the story felt a bit rushed at the end, the crazy amount of epilogue chapters made up for it - so so good and super wholesome

can’t wait to see how the manhwa will adapt the final parts of the story !!!

[miyu · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF'd at 20%

It was a good run, but then I read spoilers about Jin-Woo having a romance subplot and it just ruined it for me.

Guess I'll just keep up with it via watching the anime with my dad when he's watching...

[Ethan Gualano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solo Leveling, or as an alternative translation of the Korean has it "Only I level up", is a Korean novel, made webtoon, translated into an English comic, then made into an anime. While an entire thesis paper could be written about how good the anime and or the English comics are in of themselves(I'm biased if that wasn't obvious), the novel is equally as good, yet both different in content and in tone at some points. In terms of Pros: The Novel adds much needed details and transitions which the comics and anime have to omit given their time and space afforded to them. Furthermore, the novel develops the main character's (Sung Jinwoo) emotions and response to the events. As a consequence, the tone and overall narrative is a bit darker(along with a little more cursing than expected), but never the less could be expected in considering the world building. In terms of a physical book, "The Novel Omnibus" contains all the novel volumes, in one convenient place (granted its size is massive, I actively gained muscle while attempting to hold this book in bed). The book cover also glows in the dark which is a cool feature though ultimately provides little functionality.
In terms of Cons: Despite the insane word count, page count, and size of the book, there are certain parts of the narrative that feel rushed. The boss fights, for example, while may be dragged out in detail both in the comics and anime, are no more than two or three paragraphs in the novel. One may ask the question "How much detail does a boss fight need?" However given the overarching theme of the novel (that is leveling up and growing stronger after each fight), it is a little odd. I also think that the main character comes off a little more harsh given the darker tone of the book, which may be off putting to readers, but that may be preference. Lastly, I think the ending could be improved, I enjoyed the fights, where it was headed, but the conclusion felt unsatisfying, if not just "ok we won the day, thats it now." The Epilogue somewhat helps with this, but not much, once again thats just personal preference and I know a that a sequel is being written/has been written, so maybe that ties the ending up better.
Regardless, overall, it was an incredible read, a worthy purchase if you enjoy the franchise. And cool glow in the dark night light.

[Dickson Tan]

Saw glowing reviews about the manga / comic version, so will give the original novel a go.

[ST31N103 · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is FREAKING AMAZING. A total MUST read if you love badass characters and a good story

[Aditya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved it!!!!♥️♥️♥️♥️

[Wordaholic · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was thrilling, fast paced and filled with suspense. I loved the way the writer pulled me into the story.

[Partham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story line, though the mc is shown a bit op in between but after sometime the story and character grpws really well. And the mc has the sickest abilities.

[Kira Ebrahim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice novel out of my imagination.

[Aditi K · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was so good. The ending wasn't exactly my cup of tea, but it was overall amazing.

I just picked it up after reading the manhwa, I didn't expect it would be so good though

[CHARLOTTE · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really good book 😁

[Marwan Amrhar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good web novel.

[Ret Arded · Rating 3 out of 5]

Edgy but a fun read ig

[Blue Lou Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was hooked throughout the story! A bit unexpected ending but after the side stories I'm happy with how it turned out!

Love the Ant King and Igrit dynamic lmao

[Autresa KN · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best stories I have read since the pandemic.

[Zosia729 · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first novel and I pretty much enjoyed reading it

[paomariecris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just simply love reading this light novel. The way I see it, how its concept was inspired by a game, may not be something new or unique but definitely worth reading. Since I am currently reading its manhwa, I am biased about it.

[Josh · Rating 1 out of 5]

I purchased the Solo Leveling: Ominous novel (ISBN 9788855414615) as part of a collector’s set for over $125, expecting a high-quality reading experience. While the packaging and presentation look great, the translation inside is full of awkward phrasing, grammatical mistakes, and clunky sentence structure.

I found a clear English error on page 45, and several more as I continued reading. The story itself is still good—but the poor editing made it feel like a rough draft rather than a polished release. I reached out to Yen Press, and while they responded politely, they gave me a canned reply with no offer of replacement, refund, or access to a cleaner version.

If you’re a fan of Solo Leveling, I’d recommend skipping this edition and waiting for a proper reprint or reading the original web novel instead. This version is not worth the premium price.

[Omar Galal · Rating 4 out of 5]

About 179 issues, 18 volumes, and it counts as one book for my reading challenge; that is unfair 😅

The art is AWESOME, to an extent I have never read before in comics or manga, starting with that god statue in the double dongeon.

- Plot wise, it is a typical zero-to-hero story with no major twist, and a foreseeable ending. The pattern is anticipated from the very beginning. Also, in the 70s-100 issues the narrative was quite repetitive, while that final arc of Rulers against Monarchs could have much more; it could have got more consistency, better coherence, and better planning. The pace is unbalanced.

- Some characters were wasted, like the Chinese S-rank hunter.

- I could see so many similarities here with other works, such as the ants arc here and in Hunter X Hunter.

Although the plot is quite predictable, I could not get bored at all throughout the series.

Personal side note: Binged the whole work during my COVID isolation.

[Camila · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3,5

Inicialmente iria ser 4 estrelas, mas conforme a história se desenrolava e o fim ficava cada vez mais perto acabou caindo para um 3,5. Primeiramente, gostaria de falar que é sim uma história interessante, legal e que te deixa eufórico, choroso e excitado, no entanto como a maioria das histórias, ela tem seus furos inquestionáveis.

Acompanhamos o crescimento de Jin-Woo, o que é bastante interessante. Apesar de alguns acharem os poderes de Jin-Woo um tanto OP, eu discordo, levando em conta tudo o que será explicado mais tarde. Assim como acompanhamos Jin-Woo, também acompanhamos diversos outros personagens, como Woo Jin-Chul, Jin-Ho, Ju-Hee, Cha Hae-In, Thomas Andre e etc., assim como suas relações com o protagonista.

A trama esconde diversos mistérios e segredos. O leitor se pergunta inúmeras coisas antes de ter sua tão aclamada resposta mais pro final do livro, mas não deixa a desejar de modo algum.

Agora para os pontos que eu achei negativo: o relacionamento de Jin-Woo e Cha Hae-In. Gosto bastante de Cha Hae-In, mas não conseguia sentir química entre ela e o protagonista. Além disso, não achei que o autor desenvolveu o relacionamento para sequer pensar em ter um. Com Cha Hae-In, ela apenas não sentia nenhum "fedor" vindo de Jin-Woo e já alguns capítulos posteriores (com apenas alguns encontros com Jin-Woo, que eles mal se falavam) ela já estava apaixonada pelo mesmo. Sinto a mesma coisa com Jin-Woo, eu não senti que Cha Hae-In teve contato o suficiente para fazê-lo se apaixonar por ela. Ao contrário de muitos, não senti uma química legal entre os dois personagens. Muitos podem citar o momento em que eles foram para o parque temático e posteriormente para o Japão, mas isso foi depois que os dois já estavam apaixonados. Infelizmente, consegui sentir mais química entre Jin-Woo e Ju-Hee ou até mesmo Woo Jin-Chul (duvido que o autor fosse enfiar um relacionamento homossexual, mas não dá para negar a química entre os dois personagens) do que com Cha Hae-In.

O segundo ponto foi: o final apressado. Muita gente pode reclamar comigo, mas veja bem, extras não contam como o livro em si, então estou dando a nota e criticando com base nos capítulos até o capítulo 243 (o fim da história). Sei que tem mais desenvolvimento no extra, mas no fim DE FATO da novel, nada foi desenvolvido. Sinceramente, não gostei do fato de que tudo foi reiniciado no final e que ninguém lembra o que aconteceu, mas não foi por causa disso que diminui minha nota. Foi por conta da escrita apressada. No fim, ele reiniciou tudo, mas e aí? O que aconteceu? Quanto tempo demorou para derrotar os Soberanos? Como ele conheceu novamente Cha Hae-In? Como ele derrotou os Soberanos? Antes de fugir de casa, o que aconteceu? O que aconteceu quando ele voltou? Muitas questões foram deixadas não respondidas.

No fim, ele acaba se encontrando novamente com Jin-Ho, e foi legal, realmente. Mas ainda sim apressado. Além de apresentar o relacionamento entre Jin-Woo e Cha Hae-In (que não foi desenvolvido e nem apresentado nessa realidade além DESSE momento haha) nada mais acontece.

Por isso minha nota acabou caindo, mas ainda sinto bastante apresso pela obra!

[Gavyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s goated Beru #1

[Connor O’Neal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing Product! Quality this series deserves!

(Since this is a collection of the series, my review focuses more on the physical book as a whole instead of the story/series.)

Oh my! This is everything I wanted and more! I absolutely loved this series! The hard copies of the light novels can be hard to come by so having them all in one physical book is great! But the quality and design of this Omnibus is what really blew me away! It is a super sleek design and is very well made. I appreciate the details added as well. I am very proud to own this book!

Quick notes:
- Yes it is the light novels with some amazing art work included (not the Manwa)
- Though the book is ‘huge’ (containing 8 light novels) the book is presented in easy to read format with two columns per page. (Think like an old text book before everything was ebooks, lol)
- The font is not too small. It is small, but if you read much larger fantasies or sci-fi novels, this is about the norm.

Can’t recommend this book and series enough!

[ozie · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING one of my all time faves,, even tho it’s not the most original idea but in my opinion it’s written just perfect. the end was a bit blurry and could’ve been ALOT better in my opinion but the story develops well and has it’s own bg.

I disliked that it became really confusing w the back story later on, i was also extremely dissapointed when she like sent him back in the time so he could change everything. she shouldn’t have done that, it makes the entire hero act really boring because no one except one person knows about him and the ‘game’ is kinda over when she does that.

I’m really sad i finished this cause i suck at rereading and this def needs a reread from me!!!!